Running a plumbing business in Raleigh, NC
The Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area has about 2,810 plumbers. The median wage is $29.10 an hour, so half earn more and half earn less. That's 6% above the North Carolina median of $27.44. Nationally, the median is $30.67, so Raleigh pays 5% less.
Market snapshot
- Plumbers employed in the metro area
- 2,810
- Median hourly wage
- $29.10
- Middle 50% earn
- $23.26 to $33.66 an hour
- Median annual wage
- $60,540
- North Carolina median hourly wage
- $27.44
- U.S. median hourly wage
- $30.67
- Job concentration
- 1.26× the national share
- Plumbing, heating and AC contractors in the metro area
- 566
- Raleigh population
- 481,031
- Median year homes were built in Raleigh
- 1997
Job concentration compares the share of local jobs held by plumbers with the share nationwide. Above 1 means the trade is more concentrated here than average.
How Raleigh ranks in North Carolina
- #2 of 14 North Carolina metros for the number of plumbers
- #1 of 14 for median hourly wage
Plumbing in nearby cities
| City | Workers in the metro | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Durham, NC | 620 | $28.90 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 140 | $27.03 |
| Goldsboro, NC | 160 | $24.64 |
| Burlington, NC | 260 | $27.35 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 390 | $24.87 |
| Pinehurst, NC | 130 | $23.29 |
How Tradesman helps plumbing businesses in Raleigh
See the problem before you roll
Customers attach photos when they request service, so you know whether it's a cartridge swap or a slab leak before anyone loads the truck.
Give tank and tankless options
Put a standard tank, a high-efficiency tank and a tankless install on one estimate as options. The customer picks one and approves it online.
Price the 2 a.m. call correctly
After-hours and holiday multipliers apply to labor lines automatically, so emergency calls are billed the way you priced them.
Questions about plumbing in Raleigh
How much do plumbers make in Raleigh?
In May 2025, the median wage for plumbers in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area was $29.10 an hour. The middle half earned between $23.26 and $33.66 an hour.
How many plumbers work in Raleigh?
About 2,810 plumbers worked in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How many plumbing, heating and AC contractors are in Raleigh?
The Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area had 566 establishments classified as plumbing, heating and AC contractors in 2023, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.
Sources
Figures cover the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area unless they name Raleigh. Wages are for employees, not business owners.
Run your plumbing business in Raleigh from one place.
Estimates, scheduling, dispatch and payments in one app. Setup takes about five minutes.