Plumbing contractor vs plumber

The differences between plumbing contractors and plumbers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a plumbing contractor, becoming a plumber takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a plumbing contractor has an average salary of $72,166, which is higher than the $55,337 average annual salary of a plumber.

The top three skills for a plumbing contractor include plumbing, PVC and water heaters. The most important skills for a plumber are plumbing, hand tools, and plumbers.

Plumbing contractor vs plumber overview

	Plumbing Contractor	Plumber
Yearly salary	$72,166	$55,337
Hourly rate	$34.70	$26.60
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	12,570	12,307
Job satisfaction	-	4.4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 29%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	46	42
Years of experience	-	4

Plumbing contractor vs plumber salary

Plumbing contractors and plumbers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plumbing Contractor	Plumber
Average salary	$72,166	$55,337
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $106,000	Between $36,000 And $84,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Kern Community College District
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between plumbing contractor and plumber education

There are a few differences between a plumbing contractor and a plumber in terms of educational background:

	Plumbing Contractor	Plumber
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 29%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Plumbing contractor vs plumber demographics

Here are the differences between plumbing contractors' and plumbers' demographics:

	Plumbing Contractor	Plumber
Average age	46	42
Gender ratio	Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3%	Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 1.4% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between plumbing contractor and plumber duties and responsibilities

Plumbing contractor example responsibilities.

Recruit, manage, train for sales & installation of Comcast services.
Repair circulating pumps, leaks, broken pipes, HVAC heat return and main water lines.
Work on trade-specific HVAC improvement-relate commercial projects.
Shadow experienced plumbers to assist with installation and removal of defective plumbing fixtures.
Consult and design commercial and residential roofing systems to adhere to the changing environmental conditions in California.
Perform building rough-in according to specifications.

Plumber example responsibilities.

Train and manage less experience plumbers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Replace old copper and cast iron plumbing, install PEX water lines, CPVC lines and PVC lines.
Learned how to read blueprints, use plumbing math and read sub/spec data.
Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using various techniques, including caulking, soldering, and brazing.
Install, repair and maintain plumbing systems and components including toilets, urinals, faucets, hose bibs drains, etc.
Dig trenches for new pipeline.

Plumbing contractor vs plumber skills

Common plumbing contractor skills

Plumbing, 39%
PVC, 15%
Water Heaters, 8%
PEX, 7%
General Contractors, 6%
HVAC, 4%

Common plumber skills

Plumbing, 23%
Hand Tools, 7%
Plumbers, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Cast Iron, 4%
Pipe Systems, 4%