Medical Assistants vs Plumbers
Plumbers earns $18,110 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| Medical Assistants | Plumbers | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2025 | $45,690 | $63,800 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | $36,050 to $59,310 | $44,150 to $108,420 |
| 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 | 109,700 | 42,000 |
| Growth by 2035 | 12.9% | 6.8% |
| People doing it now | 833,900 | 510,600 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $59,290 in Washington down to $35,360 in Mississippi | $101,020 in Washington DC down to $48,660 in Arkansas |
Also compared: Automotive Service Technicians vs Medical Assistants Automotive Service Technicians vs Plumbers Carpenters vs Medical Assistants Carpenters vs Plumbers Dental Assistants vs Medical Assistants Dental Assistants vs Plumbers
Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
Medical Assistants
- Surgical Assistants
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
- Registered Nurses
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
- Physical Therapist Aides
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.
Jobs that take more training than this one
A job zone is the U.S. Department of Labor’s published measure of how much preparation a job takes. It says nothing about pay.
- Registered NursesUsually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience. +$49,400 a year more at the middle.
O*NET 30.3 Database and O*NET Job Zones, U.S. Department of Labor. A job zone is a published measure of how much preparation an occupation takes, not a measure of pay or of whether a job is better. Pay differences are BLS median annual wages, May 2025, and are shown only where both jobs are on this site.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2025, and employment projections 2025-35. 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.