238220/Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
1.21M
employees, 2023
1.21M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 111,207 US Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors business locations employed 1.21 million people and paid $89.5 billion in annual payroll, $73,693 per employee on average. Employment was up 3.2% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
111,207
+1.5% vs 2022
Employees
1,214,761
+3.2% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$89.5B
+8.9% vs 2022
Average pay
$73,693
+5.5% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 11,686 | 126,947 | $85,543 | 0.77% |
| Texas | 8,966 | 105,623 | $69,843 | 0.88% |
| Florida | 9,353 | 94,859 | $60,792 | 0.95% |
| New York | 7,061 | 65,999 | $79,163 | 0.75% |
| North Carolina | 3,973 | 45,037 | $61,905 | 1.05% |
| Pennsylvania | 4,154 | 44,585 | $75,469 | 0.78% |
| Illinois | 4,070 | 41,112 | $84,926 | 0.73% |
| Ohio | 2,970 | 37,781 | $71,083 | 0.74% |
| Virginia | 2,765 | 34,582 | $68,796 | 0.97% |
| Georgia | 3,101 | 33,250 | $68,562 | 0.75% |
| Washington | 2,242 | 33,116 | $89,508 | 1.08% |
| Arizona | 2,567 | 32,158 | $70,941 | 1.11% |
| Michigan | 2,661 | 30,546 | $75,894 | 0.76% |
| New Jersey | 3,454 | 30,302 | $78,801 | 0.77% |
| Massachusetts | 3,069 | 29,674 | $91,449 | 0.85% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 7,640 | 64,994 | $81,547 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,793 | 39,381 | $82,552 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 2,412 | 31,980 | $75,602 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 3,042 | 30,761 | $89,076 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,118 | 25,980 | $81,945 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1,909 | 25,783 | $73,917 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,639 | 25,279 | $78,120 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,737 | 24,735 | $74,614 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,169 | 22,860 | $95,446 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 2,638 | 22,209 | $59,370 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,821 | 20,477 | $74,801 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,064 | 17,675 | $95,013 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 1,192 | 17,189 | $113,449 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,429 | 14,263 | $61,608 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 982 | 14,088 | $76,485 |
Business size
US Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 64,871 | 58.3% |
| 5 to 9 | 20,587 | 18.5% |
| 10 to 19 | 13,148 | 11.8% |
| 20 to 49 | 8,384 | 7.5% |
| 50 to 99 | 2,561 | 2.3% |
| 100 to 249 | 1,300 | 1.2% |
| 250 to 499 | 256 | 0.2% |
| 500 to 999 | 76 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 24 | 0.0% |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Construction 23Specialty Trade Contractors 238Building Equipment Contractors 2382Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors 23822
Questions and answers
How many people work in Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors in the US?
1.21 million people worked at 111,207 US Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors business locations in 2023, up 3.2% from 2022. That is 0.87% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors?
$73,693 a year per employee in 2023, from $89.5 billion in annual payroll (up 5.5% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors jobs?
California had the most, with 126,947 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (105,623) and Florida (94,859).
Which metro areas have the most Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (64,994), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (39,381), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (31,980) had the most Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors employees in 2023.
Are most Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors businesses small?
88.7% of the 111,207 Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 100 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.