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Plumbing rarely makes headlines, yet it underpins housing, healthcare, construction, and basic public health. In 2026, the plumbing industry sits at the intersection of infrastructure investment, workforce pressure, rising renovation activity, and increasing demand for water efficiency.
Statistics help clarify what is actually happening beneath the surface. Market size figures show where investment is flowing. Workforce data reveals long-term capacity risks. Infrastructure and water-use numbers explain why demand remains resilient even when other trades slow.
Taken together, the data points to one clear reality. Plumbing is no longer a background trade. It is a critical growth industry entering a defining decade.
Australia’s plumbing industry is a significant and resilient part of the national economy, driven by essential services, ongoing renovation work, population growth, and increasing demand for water-efficient systems.
In 2026, the Australian plumbing services industry is projected to be worth approximately AUD 22.2 billion, reflecting its large national footprint and essential role in infrastructure and housing markets. There are an estimated 28,615 plumbing services businesses operating across Australia, underlining the sector’s breadth and diversity.
These businesses employ around 69,461 workers, highlighting plumbing as one of the substantial licensed trade employment sectors in the country.
Industry forecasts point to steady expansion rather than rapid swings, reflecting plumbing’s role as an essential service.
This steady growth profile highlights plumbing as a service-driven industry supported by ongoing system upkeep as much as by building cycles.
Australia’s population exceeded 26 million in 2025, with major urban centres projected to grow by around 15% over the next decade, a trend that directly boosts plumbing demand across homes, commercial properties, and infrastructure.
Rapid urbanisation, ageing infrastructure, and growth in multi-unit developments underpin a sustained workload for licensed plumbers.
Beyond services, the upstream plumbing fixtures market — including pipes, taps, toilets, and shower fittings — was valued at around USD 2.60 billion (~AUD 3.8 billion) in 2024 and is forecast to reach USD 4.61 billion by 2033 at a ~5.9% CAGR, reflecting ongoing renovation and upgrade activity.
This growth signals strong demand for installation work tied to water-efficient and modern plumbing products.
Import data provides a practical signal of plumbing activity across Australia. Rising volumes of both core components and finished fixtures suggest steady installation and upgrade work.
These trends typically align with:
Growing import volumes across both categories indicate an industry focused not just on maintenance, but on ongoing system upgrades and modernisation.
While the industry employs tens of thousands, the labour supply is under pressure. Apprentice commencements declined by 9.2% in 2024, contributing to ongoing skills shortages despite strong job opportunities.
Average earnings for qualified plumbers are now around AUD 98,800 per year (~AUD 47/hour), with remote or specialist roles often commanding even higher pay, reinforcing plumbing as a well-remunerated skilled trade.
Demand drivers also include green plumbing innovations, increased adoption of smart water-monitoring systems, stricter efficiency standards, and major infrastructure projects such as the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, all of which are expected to support work volumes throughout the decade.
Government incentives, targeted migration programs, and training initiatives are increasingly critical to attracting and retaining the skilled workforce needed to keep pace with urban expansion and climate resilience goals.
The global plumbing fixtures and fittings market continues to expand at a strong pace.
According to The Business Research Company, the market is set to grow from $114.31 billion in 2025 to $123.37 billion in 2026, representing a compound annual growth rate of 7.9%.
This growth extends well beyond short-term demand. Projections show the market reaching $164.78 billion by 2030, with a sustained 7.5% CAGR
This category includes essential components such as pipes, valves, fittings, toilets, taps, and water delivery systems. Growth here reflects replacement cycles, ageing infrastructure, regulatory upgrades, and rising standards for water efficiency.
In practical terms, fixtures and fittings growth suggests steady, long-term demand across residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects.
Construction remains one of the strongest forces shaping plumbing demand.
The same research highlights rising construction activity as a key driver behind fixtures and fittings growth. Data cited from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the value of construction operations increased from $2.01 trillion in May 2023 to $2.14 trillion in May 2024.
This increase matters because plumbing demand scales directly with construction output. Every new dwelling, renovation, hospital, school, warehouse, or transport facility requires plumbing systems that meet modern codes and usage expectations.
The growth is not limited to new builds. Higher construction value also reflects:
As long as construction activity remains elevated, plumbing demand follows closely behind.
While fixtures and fittings show strong global growth, plumbing services tell a different but equally important story.
Market Research Future estimates the U.S. plumbing services market was valued at $120 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $123.18 billion in 2025.
Looking further ahead, the market is forecast to reach $160 billion by 2035, reflecting an approximate 2.65% compound annual growth rate
Compared to manufacturing segments, services grow more steadily. That stability is a strength. Plumbing services are driven by maintenance work, emergency call-outs, compliance requirements, and the ongoing replacement of ageing systems.
Service-focused plumbing businesses benefit from a demand profile that is less cyclical than many construction trades.
Key signals from the data include:
The gradual but consistent expansion of the plumbing services market suggests durability. While growth may not spike dramatically year to year, the long-term outlook supports sustained work volumes and predictable demand through 2026 and beyond.
The size of the plumbing workforce provides a clear signal of industry capacity and future risk.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were approximately 504,500 plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters employed in the United States in 2024.
This figure includes licensed plumbers working across residential, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects. It does not reflect casual or unlicensed work, making it a reliable indicator of formal labour supply.
Looking ahead, the BLS projects total employment to rise to 527,200 roles by 2034, an increase of 22,700 jobs over the decade.
Plumbers are not evenly distributed across industries. Most work is concentrated in service and construction-focused roles.
According to BLS employment data:
Additional breakdown from Data USA reinforces this concentration:
This concentration explains why plumbing demand closely tracks construction activity, infrastructure funding, and renovation cycles.
Headline job growth figures only tell part of the story.
The BLS projects employment for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters to grow by 4% between 2024 and 2034, which is roughly in line with the national average across all occupations
However, total annual demand is far higher than growth alone suggests.
The BLS estimates around 44,000 job openings per year across the decade. Most of these openings are expected to come from:
Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm
This replacement-driven demand highlights a structural labour challenge rather than a short-term hiring cycle.
Plumbing remains one of the better-paid skilled trades, particularly for licensed and experienced workers.
The BLS reports a median annual wage of $62,970 as of May 2024
Income distribution shows a wide earning range:
This spread reflects differences in licensing level, specialisation, location, and type of work performed.
Earnings also vary depending on where plumbers work.
Median annual wages by sector are:
Public sector and infrastructure-related roles tend to offer higher stability and slightly higher pay, while private contractor roles provide greater volume and earning potential through overtime and emergency plumbing work.
Data USA, which aggregates BLS and American Community Survey data, reports an average annual plumber salary of $64,046.
The same dataset shows the average age of plumbers is 40.9 years, with reported job growth of 4.5%.
An ageing workforce combined with strong replacement demand points to ongoing pressure on labour availability, especially in high-growth regions.
Plumbing remains one of the most male-dominated skilled trades in the U.S.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey, there were approximately 636,000 plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in 2023, and only 3.2% were women.
Data USA reports an even lower figure when focusing specifically on plumbers, estimating that women make up just 1.93% of the workforce.
This gap highlights a large, largely untapped labour pool at a time when workforce shortages are becoming more pronounced.
BLS demographic data shows the plumbing workforce is diverse but unevenly represented across groups.
In 2023, the workforce composition was:
Source: https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm
These figures reflect broader construction industry patterns, with Hispanic and Latino workers forming a significant and growing share of the labour force, particularly in residential and commercial construction.
The combination of low female participation, an average worker age above 40, and high annual replacement demand suggests that labour availability may become a limiting factor for the industry.
Without expanded recruitment, training pathways, and retention strategies, workforce pressure is likely to intensify even as demand continues to rise.
Much of the plumbing demand in the U.S. is driven not by growth, but by ageing systems.
The American Society of Civil Engineers reports that more than 2.2 million miles of underground pipes deliver drinking water across the United States.
In addition:
This vast network requires constant maintenance, repair, and eventual replacement, creating long-term demand for plumbing and pipefitting services.
Public investment is beginning to address some of these challenges.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $50 billion in funding for water and wastewater improvements, targeting pipe replacement, treatment upgrades, and resilience projects.
While this funding does not cover all needs, it represents one of the largest federal investments in water infrastructure in decades.
The Bipartisan Policy Center estimates that around 240,000 water-main breaks occur each year in the United States.
Replacing all ageing water infrastructure could cost more than $1 trillion, reflecting the scale of deferred maintenance nationwide.
Additional findings from the same report show:
These figures underline why plumbing demand is tied as much to public health and infrastructure resilience as it is to construction cycles.
Household water consumption remains a major driver of plumbing demand, particularly as efficiency standards tighten.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that each American uses an average of 82 gallons of water per day at home.
According to the EPA, households could reduce water usage by up to 20% by installing water-efficient fixtures such as modern toilets, taps, and showerheads.
This creates ongoing demand for fixture upgrades, replacements, and compliance-driven plumbing work.
Leaks remain one of the most persistent and costly plumbing issues nationwide.
The EPA reports that the average household wastes around 180 gallons of water per week, which adds up to approximately 9,400 gallons per year, due to leaks alone.
At a national level, household leaks waste nearly 900 billion gallons of water every year.
These losses translate directly into higher utility bills, unnecessary strain on water infrastructure, and increased demand for plumbing inspections and repairs.
The EPA’s Fix a Leak Week campaign highlights just how widespread the issue remains.
Key findings include:
These figures reinforce the role plumbers play in water conservation, not just system maintenance.
Technology is reshaping parts of the plumbing industry, particularly in residential and commercial renovations.
The Business Research Company reports the global smart bathroom market will grow from $5.22 billion in 2025 to $5.8 billion in 2026, representing an 11.1% CAGR.
The market is projected to reach $8.73 billion by 2030, with a 10.8% CAGR, indicating sustained adoption rather than a short-term trend.
Growth in this segment is being driven by the uptake of:
These systems often require professional installation and ongoing servicing, reinforcing the role of licensed plumbers even as technology advances.
Renovation activity plays a central role in accelerating smart plumbing adoption.
The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard estimates that owner-occupied home remodeling and repair spending reached $485 billion in 2023, a 2.6% increase over 2022.
As bathrooms and kitchens are among the most renovated spaces, plumbing upgrades are often bundled with broader renovation projects.
Taken together, the data points to a plumbing industry under sustained demand from multiple directions.
Key forces shaping the outlook include:
Unlike more discretionary trades, plumbing remains essential. Water delivery, sanitation, and system reliability are non-negotiable, regardless of broader economic conditions.
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