Plumbers in California: licensing, jobs, pay and local data
45,460 people work as plumbers in California, and the median pay is $68,390 a year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).
The Census Bureau counts 11,686 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractor businesses with employees in California (2023 County Business Patterns).
That is 8.0 businesses per 10,000 homes, against 7.7 nationally.
California ranks 15 of 51 states for median pay in this trade.
It ranks 23 of 51 for businesses per 10,000 homes.
Figures last updated on .
- Jobs
- 45,460
- Median pay, a year
- $68,390
- Businesses with employees
- 11,686
Plumbers in California: businesses and jobs
| California | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Businesses with employees | 11,686 | 111,207 |
| Their employees | 126,947 | 1,214,761 |
| Annual payroll | $10,859,374,000 | $89,519,407,000 |
| Payroll per employee | $85,543 | $73,693 |
| Businesses per 10,000 homes | 8.0 | 7.7 |
| Jobs | 45,460 | 455,940 |
| Jobs per 1,000 jobs | 2.52 | — |
| Location quotient (1.00 = the national share) | 0.85 | 1.00 |
A location quotient above 1 means the trade’s share of all jobs is larger here than nationally.
What plumbers earn in California
| California | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay, a year | $68,390 | $62,970 |
| Median pay, an hour | $32.88 | $30.27 |
| 10th percentile | $45,480 | $40,670 |
| 25th percentile | $57,090 | $48,860 |
| 75th percentile | $95,320 | $81,900 |
| 90th percentile | $126,790 | $105,150 |
| Average pay, a year | $78,350 | $69,940 |
Plumbers by county in California
The homes behind the work in California
| California | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1940 | 8.9% (±0.1 points) | 11.7% |
| Homes lacking complete plumbing | 0.4% (±0.1 points) | 0.4% |
| Homes in buildings of 20 or more units | 13.6% (±0.1 points) | 10.3% |
| Households that rent | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
Licenses for plumbers in California
California sets its own licenses for this trade, and many cities and counties add their own; the US Department of Labor’s License Finder lists each license California requires and the agency that issues it.
Before work starts, the local building department says which permits the job needs and which license the person pulling them must hold.
Federal rules and model codes for plumbers
These federal rules apply to this work in every state, and the model codes below are adopted state by state; each is linked to its official text.
- Safe Drinking Water Act lead-free plumbing (42 U.S.C. § 300g-6)
- EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E)
- OSHA respirable crystalline silica in construction (29 CFR 1926.1153)
- International Plumbing Code (ICC) and Uniform Plumbing Code (IAPMO)
Business counts are establishments: a company with offices in two counties is counted in each.
Jobs and pay are for the occupation in every industry, so they include people employed by builders, property managers and governments as well as by contractors.
What you can do on Seayora in California
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Questions about California
How much do plumbers make in California?
The median pay for plumbers in California is $68,390 a year, against $62,970 nationally (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).
How many plumbers work in California?
45,460 people work as plumbers in California, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 count of jobs.
How many plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractor businesses are in California?
The Census Bureau counts 11,686 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractor businesses with employees in California (2023 County Business Patterns).
Do plumbers need a license in California?
California sets its own licenses for this trade, and many cities and counties add their own; the US Department of Labor’s License Finder lists each license California requires and the agency that issues it.
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023
- License Finder: plumbers in California (US Department of Labor, CareerOneStop)
- Safe Drinking Water Act lead-free plumbing (42 U.S.C. § 300g-6)
- EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E)
- OSHA respirable crystalline silica in construction (29 CFR 1926.1153)
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them. Rules are summarized from their official text, which governs; this page is not legal advice, and a state or city may add requirements of its own.
Figures last updated on .