The plumbing industry connects skilled labor, household fixtures, water efficiency and essential water, sanitation and hygiene services. The statistics below distinguish observed counts from estimates and forecasts, and identify whether they describe the United States, global populations or specific program inventories.
Key Plumbing Industry Statistics
The most useful headline figures span the workforce, household demand, efficiency programs and global service access:
- In 2025, 510,600 US jobs were held by plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters.
- The US occupation is forecast to reach 545,200 jobs in 2035.
- The occupation is projected to grow 7% in the United States from 2025 to 2035.
- About 42,000 US openings per year are projected on average during 2025–2035 for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters.
- The May 2025 US median annual wage was $63,800 for the occupation.
- US water use was estimated at about 322 billion gallons per day in 2015 across all use categories.
- An average US family can waste 180 gallons per week from household leaks, according to an EPA estimate.
- Household leaks were estimated to waste nearly 900 billion gallons annually across US households.
- WaterSense-labeled products are designed to use 20% less water than standard models while performing as well or better.
- Replacing old toilets with WaterSense models can save 13,000 gallons per year in an average US family home.
- WaterSense showerheads can save more than 2,700 gallons of water per year for an average US family.
- WaterSense-labeled products saved 1.2 trillion gallons in the United States in 2024.
- The WaterSense program listed 46,116 labeled product models in 2024.
- In 2024, 74% of the global population used safely managed drinking-water services.
- About 2.1 billion people globally lacked safely managed drinking water in 2024.
- In 2024, 58% of the global population used safely managed sanitation services.
- About 3.4 billion people globally lacked safely managed sanitation in 2024.
- In 2024, 80% of the global population had basic hygiene services.
Contents
- Key Plumbing Industry Statistics
- Plumbing Workforce Statistics, Wages and Job Growth
- Household Plumbing Water Use and Leakage Data
- Water-Efficient Toilets, Faucets and Showerheads
- WaterSense Plumbing Products, Market Scale and Adoption Trends
- Global Drinking-Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Infrastructure
- Plumbing Demand, Access Gaps and Measured Service Outcomes
Plumbing Workforce Statistics, Wages and Job Growth
The Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation combines plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, so these figures describe a defined US occupation rather than every plumbing business, contractor or revenue stream. BLS reported 510,600 jobs in 2025 and projects 545,200 jobs in 2035, an increase of 34,500 jobs.
| US occupation measure | Figure | Period or scope |
|---|---|---|
| Employment | 510,600 jobs | 2025 observed estimate |
| Projected employment | 545,200 jobs | 2035 forecast |
| Projected change | 34,500 jobs | 2025–2035 forecast |
| Projected growth | 7% | 2025–2035 forecast |
| Average annual openings | 42,000 | 2025–2035 forecast |
The projected 42,000 openings per year include labor-force exits and occupational transfers, not only newly created demand. BLS projects 7% growth for this occupation, compared with 6% for construction trades workers and 3% for all occupations over 2025–2035.
The May 2025 median annual wage was $63,800, while the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $44,150 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $108,420. Industry medians varied: government was $71,660, manufacturing $65,770, heavy and civil engineering construction $63,270, and plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors $63,010.
Source: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters: Occupational Outlook Handbook. BLS employment values are estimates and projections for this occupation.
Household Plumbing Water Use and Leakage Data
USGS estimated total US water use at about 322 billion gallons per day in 2015, across all categories. That estimate was 9% below 2010; public-supply use fell 7%, self-supplied domestic use fell 8%, and self-supplied industrial use fell 9% during the same period.
| US water-use measure | Change or level | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Total water use | About 322 billion gallons/day | 2015 |
| Total US water use | 9% lower | 2010–2015 |
| Public-supply water use | 7% lower | 2010–2015 |
| Self-supplied domestic use | 8% lower | 2010–2015 |
| Self-supplied industrial use | 9% lower | 2010–2015 |
These are national withdrawals and use estimates, not measures of plumbing-contractor sales. Public supply is broader than household plumbing, and industrial use is not residential demand.
EPA estimates that an average US family can waste 180 gallons per week, or about 9,400 gallons per year, from household leaks. The EPA national extrapolation puts household leakage at nearly 900 billion gallons annually.
Everyday behavior also affects demand. EPA estimates that turning off the tap while brushing teeth can save 8 gallons per day, turning it off while shaving can save 10 gallons per shave, and letting a faucet run for five minutes while washing dishes can waste 10 gallons.
Source: Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015 and Statistics and Facts | US EPA WaterSense. USGS and EPA figures are estimates with the scopes described above.
Water-Efficient Toilets, Faucets and Showerheads
WaterSense-labeled products are designed to use 20% less water than standard models while performing as well or better. That is a program performance criterion, not a measured average across every installation.
EPA models several household replacement scenarios:
- Replacing all old, inefficient toilets in an average family home with WaterSense models can save 13,000 gallons of water per year and $130 in annual water costs.
- Replacing old bathroom faucets and aerators with WaterSense-labeled models can save $250 in water and electricity costs over the products’ lifetime.
- WaterSense showerheads can save an average family more than 2,700 gallons of water and more than 330 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
- The showerhead scenario can reduce average family water and electricity costs by more than $70 per year.
Showerheads show how fixture specifications translate into household demand. Standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons per minute, while WaterSense-labeled showerheads must use no more than 2.0 gallons per minute.
EPA estimates that showering accounts for nearly 17% of residential indoor water use for the average family, or nearly 40 gallons per day. US residential showering therefore uses nearly 1.2 trillion gallons annually.
The savings figures are modeled household scenarios. Actual results vary with existing fixtures, household behavior, product performance, replacement conditions, utility rates, energy prices and product lifetime.
Source: Statistics and Facts | US EPA WaterSense and Showerheads | US EPA WaterSense.
WaterSense Plumbing Products, Market Scale and Adoption Trends
The WaterSense program provides a measurable view of labeled-product availability and partner participation in the United States. In 2024, labeled products saved 1.2 trillion gallons, while cumulative estimated savings reached 9.9 trillion gallons from 2007 through 2024.
| 2024 WaterSense inventory or participation measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Labeled product models | 46,116 |
| Bathroom sink faucet models | 21,081 |
| Showerhead models | 16,041 |
| Toilet models | 7,084 |
| Urinal models | 832 |
| Spray sprinkler-body models | 625 |
| Irrigation-controller models | 453 |
| Organizational partners | More than 2,300 |
The inventory includes products beyond indoor plumbing fixtures, including irrigation categories. The more than 2,300 partners included utilities, manufacturers, retailers, builders and other organizations, so the count is not a measure of plumbing contractors alone.
Source: 2024 WaterSense Accomplishments. WaterSense savings are program estimates, and the inventory is a count at the report date.
Global Drinking-Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Infrastructure
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme estimates place plumbing-related service gaps in a global public-health context. In 2024, 74% of the global population used safely managed drinking-water services, but about 2.1 billion people did not; 106 million of those people used surface water.
| Safely managed service | Global | Rural | Urban |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water | 74% | 60% | 83% |
| Sanitation | 58% | 49% | 66% |
Since 2015, 961 million people gained access to safely managed drinking water, while the number drinking surface water decreased by 61 million. Coverage is modeled monitoring, and “safely managed” requires the relevant improved-source, accessibility, availability and quality conditions.
Sanitation coverage was 58% globally in 2024; about 3.4 billion people lacked safely managed sanitation and about 354 million practiced open defecation. Since 2015, 1.2 billion people gained access to safely managed sanitation, while open defecation decreased by 429 million people.
These drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene measures are related WASH indicators, not interchangeable measures of plumbing-industry activity. Rural and urban definitions follow national monitoring systems.
Source: Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2024: 2025 update.
Plumbing Demand, Access Gaps and Measured Service Outcomes
Basic hygiene access adds another infrastructure measure. In 2024, 80% of the global population had basic hygiene services, with coverage of 71% in rural areas and 86% in urban areas.
About 1.7 billion people lacked basic hygiene services in 2024, including about 611 million people with no hygiene service. Since 2015, 1.6 billion people gained access to basic hygiene services.
The JMP’s estimates also have an important data-coverage dimension. Safely managed drinking-water estimates covered 160 countries and 72% of the global population in 2024, while safely managed sanitation estimates covered 145 countries and 86% of the global population; these percentages describe comparable-estimate availability, not service access.
The global progress gap remains substantial. The JMP says meeting SDG drinking-water target 6.1 requires an eightfold increase in the current rate of progress, while meeting sanitation target 6.2b requires a sixfold increase.
Source: Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2024: 2025 update. These are modeled WHO/UNICEF JMP monitoring estimates and progress-gap assessments, not forecasts of plumbing-sector revenue.