Plumbers in Pennsylvania: licensing, jobs, pay and local data

13,990 people work as plumbers in Pennsylvania, and the median pay is $66,650 a year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

The Census Bureau counts 4,154 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractor businesses with employees in Pennsylvania (2023 County Business Patterns).

That is 7.2 businesses per 10,000 homes, against 7.7 nationally.

Pennsylvania ranks 16 of 51 states for median pay in this trade.

It ranks 34 of 51 for businesses per 10,000 homes.

Figures last updated on .

Jobs
13,990
Median pay, a year
$66,650
Businesses with employees
4,154

Plumbers in Pennsylvania: businesses and jobs

Census Bureau 2023; Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024
PennsylvaniaUnited States
Businesses with employees4,154111,207
Their employees44,5851,214,761
Annual payroll$3,364,780,000$89,519,407,000
Payroll per employee$75,469$73,693
Businesses per 10,000 homes7.27.7
Jobs13,990455,940
Jobs per 1,000 jobs2.33—
Location quotient (1.00 = the national share)0.791.00

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

What plumbers earn in Pennsylvania

May 2024, US Bureau of Labor Statistics
PennsylvaniaUnited States
Median pay, a year$66,650$62,970
Median pay, an hour$32.04$30.27
10th percentile$45,070$40,670
25th percentile$51,990$48,860
75th percentile$82,700$81,900
90th percentile$108,770$105,150
Average pay, a year$73,950$69,940

Plumbers by county in Pennsylvania

Businesses with employees, 2023 County Business Patterns
CountyBusinesses with employeesTheir employeesBusinesses per 10,000 homes
Allegheny County4505,7667.4
Bucks County4024,12915.6
Montgomery County3264,1379.3
Delaware County2532,39111.0
Philadelphia County2253,6983.0
Chester County2202,31610.4
Lancaster County2073,1659.4
Berks County1571,4329.2
York County1561,6728.2
Westmoreland County1167846.9
Northampton County1147158.8
Luzerne County947546.2
Lehigh County891,8795.9
Lackawanna County725257.2
Butler County718238.1
Washington County706047.1
Dauphin County671,1805.2
Erie County658245.4
Beaver County644618.1
Monroe County642628.0
Cumberland County571,4195.1
Lebanon County513788.5
Blair County463368.2
Franklin County453926.7
Schuylkill County412676.1
Cambria County402796.2
Lycoming County383957.2
Adams County351548.0
Centre County353955.3
Mercer County322346.3
Wayne County261268.1
Armstrong County252217.8
Fayette County241883.9
Carbon County231206.7
Lawrence County231575.8
Columbia County181786.0
Crawford County181034.3
Northumberland County18964.1
Perry County181019.0
Snyder County1815511.2
Somerset County18834.8
Clearfield County17974.5
Bradford County151165.1
Clinton County14807.5
Venango County14745.3
Huntingdon County13976.2
Indiana County13713.5
McKean County13806.7
Union County131578.0
Greene County12567.4
Elk County11646.5
Pike County11282.7
Bedford County10664.2
Wyoming County9307.0
Jefferson County7723.2
Clarion County6333.2
Fulton County6498.4
Susquehanna County672.8
Tioga County692.8
Mifflin County5172.3

Showing the 60 counties with the most businesses, of 66.

The homes behind the work in Pennsylvania

Estimate (90% margin of error)
PennsylvaniaUnited States
Homes built before 194025.0% (±0.1 points)11.7%
Homes lacking complete plumbing0.4% (±0.1 points)0.4%
Homes in buildings of 20 or more units7.0% (±0.1 points)10.3%
Households that rent30.7% (±0.2 points)34.8%

Licenses for plumbers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania

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Questions about Pennsylvania

How much do plumbers make in Pennsylvania?

The median pay for plumbers in Pennsylvania is $66,650 a year, against $62,970 nationally (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

How many plumbers work in Pennsylvania?

13,990 people work as plumbers in Pennsylvania, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 count of jobs.

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

The Census Bureau counts 4,154 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractor businesses with employees in Pennsylvania (2023 County Business Patterns).

Do plumbers need a license in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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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