Where is the plumbing industry now, and where is it going?

I’ve taken a look into some statistics and want to share with you my view on those statistics and the industry as it is today.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows “employment of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are projected to GROW 21% from 2012-2022, faster than the average for all occupations.” Note that the bureau’s average growth for jobs in the economy is 11% in comparison to plumber’s 21% projected growth rate.

From my personal experience, plumbing companies are always trying to find well-qualified plumbers to work for them. The demand often overwhelms the supply in this industry.

The BLS also anticipates higher than average retirement among plumbers in the next decade- due to the average age of plumbers currently working in the industry.

This I definitely see to be true, particularly in our area. Younger people are not getting into the trade at the same rate anymore, and the demand for plumbers is increasing.

This means that for those young people who decide to go into plumbing there is going to be an increasing demand with a dwindling supply, which means they will be paid more. This also means that plumbing prices will continue to go up as supply shortages increase.

As of 2018/2019 around 99% of plumbers are men according to tradesmanCE.com. I believe that is probably pretty accurate.

I have known only a couple of women who chose plumbing as their profession.

BLS.gov shared graphs and data showing that Florida comes in 4th with the highest employment of plumbers at 24,200 people working in the industry.
Since Florida is the 3rd biggest state that makes a good bit of sense to me, and my experience, I think it’s a good state to be a plumber in!

BLS.gov also says plumbers make a mean average wage of $43,320 as of 2017. According to USA Today, the average single income is $34,940 so plumbers make a significant amount more than the national average.

Consider this as well, if you get your Master Plumbing License you can make even more money. These are all good signs for anyone wanting to get into the trade. Hopefully, these statistics and my small insights about them will help anyone interested in the industry understand it a bit better.

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