The plumbing industry faces a stark reality: while 92% of plumbers are male and the median age is climbing toward 50, a transformative wave of change—from a 12% surge in female hires to urgent DEI initiatives in 62% of firms—is crashing over human resources departments tasked with filling 45,000 vacancies a year.
Key Takeaways
- 92% of plumbers in the US are male
- Average age of plumbers is 43.5 years
- 15% of plumbing workforce is under 25 years old
- Plumbing job openings grew 12% in 2023
- 45,000 plumber vacancies unfilled annually
- Hiring rate for apprentices up 15% YoY
- Apprenticeship programs enrolled 25,000 in 2023
- 85% of plumbers require on-the-job training
- Average training hours for new plumbers: 1,440
- Median hourly wage for plumbers: $28.50
- Average annual salary: $65,000
- Overtime pay averages 1.5x rate
- Voluntary turnover rate in plumbing: 28%
- Average tenure: 7.2 years
- 55% of firms report retention challenges
The plumbing industry is actively hiring and training to diversify its aging workforce.
Compensation
- Median hourly wage for plumbers: $28.50
- Average annual salary: $65,000
- Overtime pay averages 1.5x rate
- Health insurance coverage: 82%
- 401(k) participation: 68%
- Bonus pay in 45% of firms, average $3,200
- Union plumbers earn 20% more
- Entry-level wage: $18.75/hour
- Master plumber salary: $95,000 avg
- Paid vacation: 2.8 weeks average
- Tool allowance: $1,200/year in 55% firms
- Life insurance offered: 76%
- Commission structures in 12% residential firms
- Dental coverage: 79%
- Profit sharing: 23% participation
- Vehicle allowance: 64%
- Paid sick leave: 71%
- Tuition reimbursement: 38%
- Shift differentials: 1.25x for nights
- Equity compensation: 5% in large firms
- Wellness benefits: 49%
- Long-term disability: 67%
- Performance bonuses avg $2,800
- 457 plans in public sector plumbing: 55%
- Uniform stipends: $450/year
- Childcare benefits: 14%
- Average raise YoY: 4.1%
- Top 10% plumbers earn $45+/hour
- Bottom 10% earn $16.50/hour
- Total comp package avg $82,000
Compensation Interpretation
The next time your drain clogs, consider that behind the plunger is a professional who likely has a solid 401(k), a company truck, and a profound appreciation for paid vacation.
Demographics
- 92% of plumbers in the US are male
- Average age of plumbers is 43.5 years
- 15% of plumbing workforce is under 25 years old
- Hispanic workers make up 28% of plumbers
- 4.2% of plumbers have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Female plumbers increased by 12% from 2018-2023
- Veterans represent 8% of the plumbing workforce
- 65% of plumbers are non-union
- Black or African American plumbers: 6.1%
- Asian plumbers: 2.3% of total workforce
- 72% of plumbers have high school diploma as highest education
- Median age in residential plumbing: 46 years
- 22% of plumbing apprentices are women in 2023
- Native American plumbers: 1.2%
- 55% of plumbers aged 45-54
- Immigrants comprise 19% of plumbing labor
- LGBTQ+ representation in plumbing: 3.5%
- Disability rate among plumbers: 7.8%
- Urban plumbers average age 41, rural 48
- 11% of plumbers over 60 years old
- Multiracial plumbers: 4.7%
- 68% White non-Hispanic plumbers
- Gen Z in plumbing: 8%
- Baby Boomers retiring at 25% rate annually
- Pacific Islander plumbers: 0.9%
- 31% of plumbers have 10+ years experience
- Entry-level plumbers under 30: 18%
- Mid-career plumbers (35-44): 29%
- Senior plumbers (55+): 37%
- Overall workforce diversity score: 4.2/10
Demographics Interpretation
The plumbing industry is a seasoned, male-dominated field where experience flows through every pipe, yet a slow drip of diversity and youth suggests the future may hold a more inclusive—and perhaps less predictable—flushing mechanism.
Hiring Trends
- Plumbing job openings grew 12% in 2023
- 45,000 plumber vacancies unfilled annually
- Hiring rate for apprentices up 15% YoY
- 68% of plumbing firms report hiring difficulties
- Time to hire plumber: 42 days average
- 22% increase in remote HR screening for plumbers
- Entry-level hiring surged 28% post-COVID
- 75% of firms use social media for plumber recruitment
- Union hiring contracts up 10%
- Cost per hire for plumber: $4,500
- 35% of hires via referrals in plumbing
- Female hiring doubled in last 5 years
- Veteran hiring programs cover 12% of new hires
- Online job apps for plumbing up 40%
- Seasonal hiring peak: 55% in Q2
- Gig economy plumbers: 9% of hires
- DEI hiring initiatives in 62% of firms
- Average applicants per plumber job: 18
- Relocation offers in 24% of plumbing hires
- AI screening used by 15% of plumbing HR
- Offer acceptance rate: 78%
- Intern-to-hire conversion: 65%
- Overtime hiring clauses in 41% contracts
- Multi-state hiring up 19%
- Campus recruiting for trades: 11% participation
- Background check failure rate: 8%
- 82% of firms plan to hire more in 2024
- 56% apprenticeship completion leads to hire
- 73% of plumbing managers satisfied with 2023 hires
- 42,000 projected plumber hires needed by 2025
- 65% of firms offer signing bonuses
Hiring Trends Interpretation
The plumbing industry is facing a pressure-cooked hiring crisis—evidenced by 45,000 annual vacancies and a 42-day time-to-hire—yet it’s creatively adapting with surging apprenticeships, social media recruiting, and a doubled rate of female hires, all while 82% of firms still plan to turn up the tap on recruitment in 2024.
Retention
- Voluntary turnover rate in plumbing: 28%
- Average tenure: 7.2 years
- 55% of firms report retention challenges
- Exit interview top reason: better pay (42%)
- Retention bonus usage: 37%
- Employee engagement score: 71/100
- Mentorship programs retain 82% apprentices
- Flexible scheduling improves retention by 25%
- Burnout rate: 34%
- Promotion from within: 68%
- Annual retention rate: 78%
- Female retention gap: 15% lower
- Post-training retention: 89%
- Career path clarity retains 76%
- Work-life balance satisfaction: 62%
- Union retention 12% higher
- Feedback surveys conducted quarterly by 51%
- Separation rate: 32.5/100 employees
- Loyalty programs in 29% firms
- Remote work options retain 19% more
- DEI initiatives boost retention 22%
- Exit rate under 2 years: 22%
- Satisfaction with recognition: 65%
- Predictive retention analytics used by 17%
- Team-building events annual: 84% participation
- Long-service awards in 72%
- Stress management programs: 41%
- Net promoter score for employees: 48
- Retention after promotion: 92%
- Industry switch rate: 11%
- 5-year retention: 54%
- HR tech for retention: 26% adoption
Retention Interpretation
It seems the plumbing industry is frantically trying to plug a 28% leak of its people, with pay being the main drip they can't quite catch, yet the tools that actually work—like mentorship and clear career paths—are sitting right there in the toolbox, sadly underused.
Training
- Apprenticeship programs enrolled 25,000 in 2023
- 85% of plumbers require on-the-job training
- Average training hours for new plumbers: 1,440
- Certification rate: 62% of workforce
- Upskilling programs in 70% of firms
- VR training adoption: 18%
- 4-year apprenticeship completion: 67%
- Safety training compliance: 94%
- Green plumbing training demand up 30%
- Online courses completed: 45,000 annually
- Mentor-apprentice ratio: 1:2
- Leadership training for supervisors: 52% participation
- Tech skills training (IoT): 22% coverage
- Diversity training mandatory in 48% firms
- Cost of training per plumber: $12,000
- Recertification every 2 years for 75%
- Soft skills training gap: 35%
- Welding training for pipefitters: 88% required
- Bilingual training programs: 14%
- Post-hire training ROI: 250%
- Mobile training apps used by 29%
- OSHA 10-hour training: 91% compliance
- Advanced HVAC crossover training: 41%
- Women-only training cohorts: 7%
- Simulation-based training effectiveness: 82%
- Annual training hours per employee: 40
- 55% firms partner with community colleges
- Dropout rate in apprenticeships: 33%
Training Interpretation
The plumbing industry's training data reveals a robust but leaky pipeline: while we're impressively pouring resources and tech into apprenticeships with solid safety and certification foundations, we're still struggling to patch significant gaps in retention, diversity, and soft skills before we spring a leadership crisis.
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