Running a plumbing business in Columbia, SC
The Columbia, SC metro area has about 1,060 plumbers. The median wage is $25.04 an hour, so half earn more and half earn less. That's 3% below the South Carolina median of $25.93. Nationally, the median is $30.67, so Columbia pays 18% less.
Market snapshot
- Plumbers employed in the metro area
- 1,060
- Median hourly wage
- $25.04
- Middle 50% earn
- $22.31 to $30.90 an hour
- Median annual wage
- $52,070
- South Carolina median hourly wage
- $25.93
- U.S. median hourly wage
- $30.67
- Job concentration
- 0.90× the national share
- Plumbing, heating and AC contractors in the metro area
- 246
- Columbia population
- 139,643
- Median year homes were built in Columbia
- 1980
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 Columbia ranks in South Carolina
- #1 of 8 South Carolina metros for the number of plumbers
- #5 of 8 for median hourly wage
Plumbing in nearby cities
| City | Workers in the metro | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Sumter, SC | 80 | $24.44 |
| Florence, SC | 190 | $27.00 |
| Charlotte, NC | 3,840 | $28.22 |
| Augusta, GA | 540 | $26.29 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 310 | $25.31 |
| Charleston, SC | 960 | $27.58 |
How Tradesman helps plumbing businesses in Columbia
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 Columbia
How much do plumbers make in Columbia?
In May 2025, the median wage for plumbers in the Columbia, SC metro area was $25.04 an hour. The middle half earned between $22.31 and $30.90 an hour.
How many plumbers work in Columbia?
About 1,060 plumbers worked in the Columbia, SC metro area in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How many plumbing, heating and AC contractors are in Columbia?
The Columbia, SC metro area had 246 establishments classified as plumbing, heating and AC contractors in 2023, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.
Sources
Figures cover the Columbia, SC metro area unless they name Columbia. Wages are for employees, not business owners.
Run your plumbing business in Columbia from one place.
Estimates, scheduling, dispatch and payments in one app. Setup takes about five minutes.