Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between plumbers and service plumbers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a plumber and a service plumber. Additionally, a plumber has an average salary of $55,337, which is higher than the $54,946 average annual salary of a service plumber.
The top three skills for a plumber include plumbing, hand tools and plumbers. The most important skills for a service plumber are plumbing, residential service, and customer service.
| Plumber | Service Plumber | |
| Yearly salary | $55,337 | $54,946 |
| Hourly rate | $26.60 | $26.42 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 12,307 | 8,369 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 53% | High School Diploma, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Plumbers specialize in assembling, detecting issues, maintaining, and repairing pipes and systems that can either involve water or gas distribution in a home or establishment, ensuring that they function efficiently. Additionally, Plumbers can also install various materials such as kitchen or bathroom sinks, toilets, appliances, and more. Among the tasks may revolve around training other plumbers or coordinating with other workers involved on a project, clearing obstructions and handling waste disposal, informing clients about the costs and process of repairs, and building rapport with them.
Service plumbers repair tanks, pipes, and water fixtures. Part of their job may include unclogging drains and toilets and handling various residential plumbing requirements. They may also troubleshoot systems, diagnose problems, and collaborate with other contractors when required. Service plumbers should be able to work under pressure and be willing to do house calls after hours. Plumbers are not only experts in their trade but also offer superb customer service. They need to have a minimum of a high school diploma, interpret blueprints, and have a polite manner and excellent customer service skills.
Plumbers and service plumbers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plumber | Service Plumber | |
| Average salary | $55,337 | $54,946 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $84,000 | Between $36,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Tacoma, WA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Kern Community College District | JK Realty |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between a plumber and a service plumber in terms of educational background:
| Plumber | Service Plumber | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 53% | High School Diploma, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between plumbers' and service plumbers' demographics:
| Plumber | Service Plumber | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5% | Male, 98.0% Female, 2.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 1.9% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 1.8% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |