How to hire a journeyman plumber

How to hire a journeyman plumber, step by step

Here's a step-by-step journeyman plumber hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a journeyman plumber job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new journeyman plumber
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a journeyman plumber do?

Post a journeyman plumber job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the journeyman plumber you need to hire. Certain journeyman plumber roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A journeyman plumber's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, journeyman plumbers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of journeyman plumbers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Journeyman Plumber	Description	Hourly rate
   Journeyman Plumber	Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install and repair pipes that carry liquids or gases to, from, and within businesses, homes, and factories.	$17-38
   Mason	A mason is responsible for shaping artificial mineral products, concrete blocks, stone pieces, and bricks to create structures essential for construction or other building purposes using various machinery and equipment, following the highest safety standards and production procedures. Masons analyze schematics and blueprints, applying the clients' specifications and customization to their product expertise... Show more	$13-32
   Carpenter Helper	A carpenter helper is responsible for assisting carpenters with the construction duties, performing construction tasks as needed, and ensuring the completion of the project timely and efficiently. Carpenter helpers maintain the construction tools and equipment, including cleaning the materials before and after every use and inspecting for any possible defects... Show more	$12-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Plumbing
   • Hand Tools
   • Work Ethic
   • Drainage Systems
   • Customer Service
   • Pipe Fittings
   • PVC
   • HVAC
   • OSHA
   • Cast Iron
   • Ladders
   • Brazing
   • Repair Pipes
   • Domestic Water

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Train and manage less experience plumbers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
   • Operate equipment such as cutting torches, threading machines, grinder, soldering and brazing.
   • Install and join copper, PVC, black iron and cast iron pipe and fittings below grind and above grind.
   • Work on sanitary sewer, rain leaders, and condensate lines using cast iron, PVC, and copper pipe.
   • Replace plumbing fixtures, water heaters, gas and electric, filtration systems, dishwashers, and service piping to structures.
   • Perform complete plumbing installations from rough-in to finishing according to Minnesota codes.

   More journeyman plumber duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your journeyman plumber job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A journeyman plumber salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a journeyman plumber in South Dakota may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level journeyman plumber usually earns less than a senior-level journeyman plumber. Additionally, a journeyman plumber with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average journeyman plumber salary

   $54,678yearly

   $26.29 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level journeyman plumber salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average journeyman plumber salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Oregon	$81,511	$39
   2	Washington	$80,995	$39
   3	California	$69,338	$33
   4	District of Columbia	$64,202	$31
   5	Minnesota	$64,093	$31
   6	Illinois	$60,336	$29
   7	Maine	$58,681	$28
   8	Maryland	$57,998	$28
   9	New Jersey	$56,895	$27
   10	Nebraska	$55,891	$27
   11	Missouri	$54,218	$26
   12	Utah	$54,097	$26
   13	Michigan	$53,156	$26
   14	Louisiana	$51,552	$25
   15	Colorado	$51,316	$25
   16	Arizona	$50,200	$24
   17	Idaho	$49,875	$24
   18	Oklahoma	$48,358	$23
   19	Texas	$47,001	$23
   20	Tennessee	$42,377	$20

   Average journeyman plumber salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Constellation Energy Partners	$78,514	$37.75	8
   2	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	$72,461	$34.84
   3	Carrier	$71,833	$34.54	2
   4	American Residential Services	$66,986	$32.20	18
   5	Yukon Kuskokwim Health	$66,473	$31.96
   6	Stellar	$66,444	$31.94	2
   7	Fluor Corporation	$66,151	$31.80	3
   8	C Squared Systems	$66,004	$31.73
   9	University of Southern California	$65,722	$31.60
   10	LCMC Health	$65,166	$31.33
   11	Pine State Mortgage	$64,482	$31.00
   12	LifePoint Health	$64,346	$30.94	2
   13	Harbor's Edge Norfolk	$62,177	$29.89
   14	Mars	$61,384	$29.51	3
   15	Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority	$61,354	$29.50	1
   16	JPS Health Network	$59,113	$28.42
   17	Bering Straits	$58,577	$28.16
   18	Stewart Enterprises	$57,848	$27.81	2
   19	Central Vermont Medical Center	$57,589	$27.69
   20	GPAC	$57,357	$27.58

4. Writing a journeyman plumber job description

   A journeyman plumber job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a journeyman plumber job description:

   Journeyman plumber job description example

   Our company cares about the career development of our licensed plumbers and believes in investing in our team. We offer our Journeyman Plumbing Tech a top pay that is dependent upon experience and skill level of $60k - $90,000/yr. Our licensed plumbers can't get enough of our caring, supportive, and dedicated work-family in addition to great benefits , including health, dental, vision, vacation time, and paid time off (PTO). We also make it easy to apply with our initial quick and easy mobile-optimized application . If we have your attention, please continue reading!

   ABOUT ARROW PLUMBING

   We are a family-run business that was founded in 1977 by Bruce Barnes and his wife, Ann. Bruce has over 40 years of plumbing experience and can be found most days doing what he enjoys most training our team on the latest industry-related technology. Our team members always carefully evaluate each system problem and provide clients with an exact price to approve before any work begins. Our service guarantee and repair warranty are among the best in the country and we stand behind all of our services. Our clients know that their service will be managed by honest professionals who want to earn business and references for years to come.

   In order to be the best, we have to have the best. As a result, we offer competitive pay, exquisite benefits, profit sharing opportunities, and numerous growth opportunities. Did we mention that we have year-round work? That's right! We don't just provide temporary or seasonal positions. With a full-schedule and a company that really cares, you're sure to stick around.

   ARE YOU A GOOD FIT?

   We are in the market for someone who takes pride in their work and wants a long-term career as a licensed plumber. Ask yourself: Are you a troubleshooter and problem-solver? Do you present yourself professionally? Are you looking for more than just a job? Do you have a positive, can-do attitude? Are you cooperative and great at teamwork? Do you have excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain technical information in layman's terms? If so, please consider applying for this great opportunity today!

   WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

   As a Journeyman Plumbing Tech on our team, you will need to be able to provide world-class service to our clients while expertly diagnosing various piping systems and completing the agreed-upon repairs and/or installations. If you can do this and meet the following requirement, we would be excited to have you join us!

   • Licensed in the State of Texas as a Journeyman or Master Plumber

   Location: 77478

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right journeyman plumber for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with journeyman plumbers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit journeyman plumbers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your journeyman plumber job on Zippia to find and recruit journeyman plumber candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as constructionjobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting journeyman plumbers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new journeyman plumber

   Once you've selected the best journeyman plumber candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a journeyman plumber?