Heating vs Plumbers
Plumbers earns $3,160 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| Heating | Plumbers | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2024 | $59,810 | $62,970 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | $39,130 to $91,020 | $40,670 to $105,150 |
| Years of school you pay for our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure | 1 | 0 |
| Typical entry education | Postsecondary nondegree award | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Jobs opening up each year | 40,100 | 44,000 |
| Growth by 2034 | 8% | 4% |
| People doing it now | 425,200 | 504,500 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $83,660 in Alaska down to $46,040 in West Virginia | $96,200 in Illinois down to $49,630 in West Virginia |
Also compared: Heating vs Pharmacy Technicians Heating vs Welders Pharmacy Technicians vs Plumbers Plumbers vs Welders
Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
Heating
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
- Home Appliance Repairers
- Boilermakers
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
What these usually take: A trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
Plumbers
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Boilermakers
- Pipelayers
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
What these usually take: A trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
O*NET 30.3 Database, U.S. Department of Labor. These are jobs that use similar skills, knowledge and daily tasks. It is a measure of how alike two jobs are — not a record of people moving between them.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2024, and employment projections 2024-34. Years of school is our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure. State medians are not adjusted for cost of living or taxes, and that difference could be large either way. No advice, just data.