Plumbers in New York: licensing, jobs, pay and local data

22,630 people work as plumbers in New York, and the median pay is $78,460 a year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

The Census Bureau counts 7,061 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractor businesses with employees in New York (2023 County Business Patterns).

That is 8.2 businesses per 10,000 homes, against 7.7 nationally.

New York ranks 10 of 51 states for median pay in this trade.

It ranks 18 of 51 for businesses per 10,000 homes.

Figures last updated on .

Jobs
22,630
Median pay, a year
$78,460
Businesses with employees
7,061

Plumbers in New York: businesses and jobs

Census Bureau 2023; Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024
New YorkUnited States
Businesses with employees7,061111,207
Their employees65,9991,214,761
Annual payroll$5,224,688,000$89,519,407,000
Payroll per employee$79,163$73,693
Businesses per 10,000 homes8.27.7
Jobs22,630455,940
Jobs per 1,000 jobs2.37—
Location quotient (1.00 = the national share)0.801.00

A location quotient above 1 means the trade’s share of all jobs is larger here than nationally.

What plumbers earn in New York

May 2024, US Bureau of Labor Statistics
New YorkUnited States
Median pay, a year$78,460$62,970
Median pay, an hour$37.72$30.27
10th percentile$46,040$40,670
25th percentile$60,160$48,860
75th percentile$101,060$81,900
90th percentile$128,540$105,150
Average pay, a year$84,510$69,940

Plumbers by county in New York

Businesses with employees, 2023 County Business Patterns
CountyBusinesses with employeesTheir employeesBusinesses per 10,000 homes
Suffolk County1,0897,97518.8
Queens County9459,21310.4
Kings County7846,7077.1
Nassau County6906,78014.4
Westchester County4933,87412.5
Bronx County2672,5334.8
Richmond County2431,73113.2
Erie County2403,5315.4
New York County2162,7432.3
Orange County2051,62113.7
Monroe County2023,6506.0
Rockland County1911,44117.5
Dutchess County13963611.3
Onondaga County1342,2156.3
Putnam County9960825.7
Albany County982,0936.6
Ulster County834939.6
Niagara County684846.8
Saratoga County649785.7
Broome County547945.8
Oneida County513664.8
Rensselaer County422625.6
Schenectady County416055.8
Chautauqua County352885.3
Oswego County342076.2
Wayne County331727.8
Ontario County325316.0
Sullivan County321416.4
Cayuga County271277.3
Jefferson County272124.4
Columbia County26987.8
Warren County263156.4
Chemung County252186.4
Clinton County221895.8
Tompkins County221054.6
Genesee County212138.0
St. Lawrence County212474.0
Steuben County181543.8
Greene County16695.5
Cattaraugus County151533.7
Washington County152605.1
Essex County13385.1
Fulton County13784.6
Livingston County132794.8
Otsego County13614.3
Herkimer County12303.7
Madison County12333.9
Franklin County11494.3
Cortland County10354.8
Delaware County10303.3
Seneca County10406.2
Chenango County8263.3
Montgomery County8433.5
Wyoming County8294.4
Yates County8746.1
Orleans County6413.3
Schoharie County663.6
Tioga County6362.7
Lewis County5153.2

The homes behind the work in New York

Estimate (90% margin of error)
New YorkUnited States
Homes built before 194030.3% (±0.1 points)11.7%
Homes lacking complete plumbing0.4% (±0.1 points)0.4%
Homes in buildings of 20 or more units25.1% (±0.1 points)10.3%
Households that rent45.7% (±0.2 points)34.8%

Licenses for plumbers in New York

New York 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 New York 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.

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 New York

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Questions about New York

How much do plumbers make in New York?

The median pay for plumbers in New York is $78,460 a year, against $62,970 nationally (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

How many plumbers work in New York?

22,630 people work as plumbers in New York, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 count of jobs.

How many plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractor businesses are in New York?

The Census Bureau counts 7,061 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractor businesses with employees in New York (2023 County Business Patterns).

Do plumbers need a license in New York?

New York 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 New York requires and the agency that issues it.

Sources

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 .

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