How to hire a plumbing technician

How to hire a plumbing technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step plumbing technician hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The plumbing technician hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect plumbing technician also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of plumbing technicians.

   Type of Plumbing Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Plumbing Technician	Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install and repair pipes that carry liquids or gases to, from, and within businesses, homes, and factories.	$18-42
   Maintenance Plumber	A maintenance plumber repairs individual water systems or large water facilities. This job position monitors, diagnoses, maintains, and repairs gas leaks, water shortages, sewage, and pipe systems... Show more	$17-37
   Residential Plumber	A residential plumber installs, repairs, fits, and maintains pipes in a drainage system for residential buildings. They also do fixtures associated with water heating and cooling, water distribution, and sanitation services... Show more	$17-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Plumbing
   • Hand Tools
   • HVAC
   • Work Ethic
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Service Calls
   • Sewer Lines
   • Strong Customer Service
   • OSHA
   • Residential Service
   • Little Supervision
   • Drainage Systems
   • Pipe Systems
   • Preventative Maintenance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Train and manage less experience plumbers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
   • Invoice customer for services render.
   • dig ups to expose pipes outside.
   • Perform brazing, soldering, pipefitting and welding.
   • Operate backhoes to dig up lines and replace.
   • Use jetting equipment and augers to unclog drains.

   More plumbing technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your plumbing technician job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A plumbing technician 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 plumbing technician in New Mexico may be lower than in Nevada, and an entry-level plumbing technician usually earns less than a senior-level plumbing technician. Additionally, a plumbing technician 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 plumbing technician salary

   $59,049yearly

   $28.39 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level plumbing technician salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average plumbing technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$83,121	$40
   2	California	$77,308	$37
   3	New Jersey	$75,432	$36
   4	Delaware	$71,743	$34
   5	Maryland	$68,988	$33
   6	Pennsylvania	$62,909	$30
   7	Georgia	$60,848	$29
   8	Virginia	$60,666	$29
   9	Utah	$59,010	$28
   10	Oklahoma	$56,070	$27
   11	Colorado	$55,225	$27
   12	Wyoming	$55,053	$26
   13	Arizona	$53,685	$26
   14	Florida	$52,298	$25
   15	Texas	$51,907	$25
   16	Indiana	$49,758	$24
   17	Tennessee	$49,270	$24
   18	North Carolina	$45,528	$22

   Average plumbing technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Navistar	$77,441	$37.23
   2	American Residential Services	$77,296	$37.16	44
   3	NCH Healthcare System	$74,464	$35.80	2
   4	International Trucks	$73,307	$35.24
   5	Ultradent Products	$69,794	$33.55
   6	Horizon Services	$68,571	$32.97	17
   7	Acuity Insurance	$66,925	$32.18
   8	W Holding Company	$64,400	$30.96
   9	Laramie County Community College	$61,665	$29.65
   10	Raytheon Technologies	$61,603	$29.62	5
   11	Roto	$61,371	$29.51	218
   12	Lloyd	$61,096	$29.37	2
   13	GPAC	$60,943	$29.30
   14	NBCUniversal	$60,730	$29.20	4
   15	The Dwyer Group	$60,443	$29.06
   16	Piedmont Holding Inc	$60,177	$28.93	5
   17	Gold Medal, Ltd.	$60,177	$28.93	18
   18	Level Home	$60,177	$28.93	2
   19	Drain Doctor Limited	$60,161	$28.92
   20	MCR Health Inc	$60,035	$28.86

4. Writing a plumbing technician job description

   A good plumbing technician job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a plumbing technician job description:

   Plumbing technician job description example

   Plumbing Technician - NO ON-CALL - CHOOSE YOUR SHIFT- U* p to $28/ *hour base ($44 / hour with incentive pay)

   At Fenwick Services we pride ourselves in creating an excellent working environment by hiring the best technicians, training them better than anyone, and creating an environment where our technicians are our number one priority.

   Reasons you will love working here:

   · Along with our industry-leading pay and incentive programs, we also provide flexible schedules to match YOUR lifestyle and NO ON CALL . The following are just a few examples of schedules we are looking to hire for TODAY. (Mon-Fri 8-4, Tue-Sat 8-4, Sun - Thr 8-4, We also offer four ten-hour shifts with three days off. These are just examples - we will customize your shift with YOU !).

   · Paid Time Off Minimum two weeks after ninety days ( We MATCH your current PTO balance if greater than two weeks ).

   · Company Supplied Tools (including PRO-PRESS!)

   · Bonus incentives

   · Fully stocked warehouse with parts runners operating 7 days a week

   · We offer consistent and reliable full-time year-round work

   · New Clean Fully Stocked Truck!

   · Training & development programs to help YOU GROW - (Tankless water heater training, gas training, well pump training, Nexstar Customer Service Training, just to name a few).

   · Career Advancement Opportunities - We pride ourselves in promoting from within the organization and we are committed to helping you grow into a leadership position if that is a path you are interested in.

   · Full Benefits Package with a 401k

   · Company-issued phone and iPad = no paperwork!

   · Yearly boot allowance

   · Tool Co-op program for when you are ready to upgrade your personal tools

   · Our shop is also stocked with water, Gatorade, coffee, and snacks

   · Flexible schedules that fit YOUR life with NO ON CALL We will design a shift that fits YOUR SCHEDULE .

   Apply TODAY and schedule time to hear more about what we can do for YOU from one of our team members.

   APPLY NOW!

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right plumbing technician 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 plumbing technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit plumbing technicians 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 plumbing technician job on Zippia to find and attract quality plumbing technician candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as constructionjobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit plumbing technicians, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 plumbing technician

   Once you have selected a candidate for the plumbing technician position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new plumbing technician. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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.)

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