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The differences between service plumbers and commercial 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 service plumber and a commercial plumber. Additionally, a service plumber has an average salary of $54,946, which is higher than the $54,423 average annual salary of a commercial plumber.
The top three skills for a service plumber include plumbing, residential service and customer service. The most important skills for a commercial plumber are plumbing, PVC, and cast iron.
| Service Plumber | Commercial Plumber | |
| Yearly salary | $54,946 | $54,423 |
| Hourly rate | $26.42 | $26.16 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 8,369 | 34,990 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 52% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Commercial plumbers are specialized plumbers who work on housing or retail developments, commercial businesses, and properties. They repair, install, and maintain plumbing systems and services on a larger, more complex scale. They work on an infrastructure's water pressure, boiler systems, water supply, and waste following blueprint designs and understand the requirements for each project. Some jobs require them to have basic carpentry skills for when they need to access pipes inside walls or to brace pipes to keep them in place. They will also solder, weld, and attach fittings and fixtures when needed.
Service plumbers and commercial plumbers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Plumber | Commercial Plumber | |
| Average salary | $54,946 | $54,423 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $82,000 | Between $36,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Tacoma, WA | Baton Rouge, LA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Oregon |
| Best paying company | JK Realty | Stanley Furniture |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a service plumber and a commercial plumber in terms of educational background:
| Service Plumber | Commercial Plumber | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 52% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between service plumbers' and commercial plumbers' demographics:
| Service Plumber | Commercial Plumber | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 98.0% Female, 2.0% | Male, 97.6% Female, 2.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 1.9% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |