Plumber vs Electrician: Which Trade Pays More in the USA?

Choosing between a career in plumbing and electrical work is a significant decision, and salary is often the deciding factor. Both are excellent trades with strong demand, good earning potential, and genuine independence for those who want to run their own business. But the numbers are different, and the career paths have distinct characteristics worth understanding before committing.

Average Salary: Plumber vs Electrician in the USA

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 data), the median annual salary for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in the US is approximately $61,550. The median for electricians is slightly higher at around $61,590 — essentially identical at the median level. However, the top earners in both trades significantly exceed these figures.

Metric	Plumber	Electrician
Median annual salary (BLS)	$61,550	$61,590
Self-employed hourly rate	$75–$200	$75–$200
Top earners (own business)	$100,000–$200,000+	$100,000–$200,000+
Typical apprenticeship length	4–5 years (United Association)	4–5 years (IBEW)
Projected growth through 2032 (BLS)	6%	15%

Master electricians and master plumbers running their own businesses regularly earn $100,000–$200,000+ per year. In high-cost-of-living markets like New York, California, and the Pacific Northwest, median wages in both trades are 20–40% above the national median.

Earning Potential: Running Your Own Business

For both trades, the biggest salary jump comes from running your own business rather than working as an employee. A self-employed master plumber or licensed electrical contractor can charge $75–$200 per hour depending on market and specialism, compared to the $25–$40/hour typical of employed trade work. The overhead of running a solo plumbing or electrical business — insurance, tools, a van, marketing — is manageable, and the margin between what you charge and what it costs to deliver the work is where real income is built.

A rough year-one comparison: an employed journeyman earning $30/hour full-time grosses around $62,400/year before tax. A newly self-employed operator billing $100/hour, working 25 billable hours a week (the rest going to quoting, admin, and travel), grosses $130,000 — and after realistic overhead of $25,000–$35,000 (van, insurance, tools, materials markup aside), nets somewhere in the $95,000–$105,000 range. The jump isn’t automatic — it depends on keeping the schedule full — but the ceiling is substantially higher than employed work in both trades.

Job Demand and Future Outlook

Both plumbing and electrical work have strong employment outlooks. The BLS projects 15% growth for electricians through 2032 — significantly faster than average — driven largely by renewable energy installation (solar, EV charging, battery storage). Plumbing is projected to grow at 6% — still above average, driven by infrastructure investment and new construction. Electricians may have a slight growth advantage driven by the electrification of everything: EVs, heat pumps, battery storage. The demand for licensed electricians who can handle residential solar and EV charger installation is growing faster than the workforce can supply.

Which Trade Is Easier to Get Into?

Apprenticeship length for both trades is typically 4–5 years. Plumbing apprenticeships are managed through the United Association; electrical apprenticeships through IBEW. Both result in a journeyman license, with the master license requiring additional experience and examination. The physical demands differ: plumbing often involves more confined space work and awkward positions; electrical work involves more working at height and in live panel environments. Neither is consistently easier or harder — it depends on the individual.

Which Trade Should You Choose?

If the salary numbers above are this close, the decision usually comes down to fit rather than money:

• Choose plumbing if: you don’t mind confined spaces, prefer diagnosing problems by hand and instinct, and want a trade where emergency/call-out work commands a strong premium.
• Choose electrical if: you’re comfortable working at height, want to be positioned in the fastest-growing segment of the trades (solar, EV charging, battery storage), and prefer more systematic, code-driven troubleshooting.
• Either way, plan to go self-employed eventually. The earning ceiling in both trades comes from running your own business, not from choosing the “better-paying” trade at the median.

Once you’ve picked a lane, the next question is how to actually fill your schedule. How to Get Plumbing Leads in the USA and How to Get More Work as an Electrician in the USA both cover practical lead-generation strategies specific to each trade.