What was the median annual wage for U.S. plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in May 2025?
Answer$63,800
About 510,600 people worked in the trade in 2025.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025) bls.gov
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Plumbing facts & stats
6 sourced facts about plumbing, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
The basics
How long is a typical U.S. plumbing apprenticeship?
Answer4 or 5 years
Apprentices get about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training each year plus technical classes, and most states require plumbers to be licensed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025) bls.gov
The word 'plumber' comes from the Latin word for which material?
Answerlead (Latin plumbum)
A medieval plumber was 'a worker in any sort of lead' — roofs, gutters and pipes. It's also why lead's chemical symbol is Pb.
Source: Online Etymology Dictionary, plumber (2024) etymonline.com
Going deeper
How much water can an average household's leaks waste in a year?
Answermore than 9,300 gallons
And 9% of homes have leaks that waste 50 gallons or more every day.
Source: U.S. EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week (2025) epa.gov
Expert level
What share of U.S. plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters work for plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors?
Answer65%
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors are by far the biggest employer; only about 8% of these workers are self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025) bls.gov
How much is employment of U.S. plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters projected to grow from 2025 to 2035?
Answer7%
That's much faster than average, with about 42,000 openings projected each year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025) bls.gov
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