Quick answer: How do plumbing companies keep good plumbers? They pay for what each plumber contributes, protect their time off, give them a clear path from apprentice to master, and train them in specialties that customers pay more for. A plumber who can see a bigger paycheck and a better life ahead has little reason to look for another shop.
In this video, Roger Wakefield sits down with Dustin Marx, owner of Mother Modern Plumbing in Dallas-Fort Worth, to talk about what his plumbers earn and how the company pays them. Read on for the moves that keep good plumbers on the truck.
Why does keeping good plumbers matter so much?
Because good plumbers are hard to replace. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects about 42,000 openings for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. It says many of those openings come from the need to replace workers who move to other jobs or leave the workforce, for example to retire.
Every plumber who walks out takes their training and their customers’ trust with them. And it takes years to build one: the BLS says most plumbers learn through a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship, with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training each year.
What do good plumbers want from a plumbing company?
Most want the same short list. None of it is a secret, but plenty of companies still miss it.
- Pay that grows. A clear way to earn more as their skills and their work grow.
- Time off they can count on. Evenings and weekends that are really theirs.
- A path forward. The next license, the next role, the next step up.
- Training. New skills, paid for by the company, that make them worth more.
- Respect. Being treated like the skilled professionals they are.
How does pay help a company keep good plumbers?
Pay is the first thing a plumber compares. The BLS says the median pay for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters was $63,800 a year, or $30.67 an hour, in May 2025. The median is the middle number: half earn more and half earn less.
The BLS also says earnings vary by experience, responsibility, performance, tenure and location, and that an apprentice’s pay increases as they learn to do more. Tenure means how long someone has stayed. A pay plan that rewards those things gives a plumber a reason to stay.
What does pay that follows contribution look like?
Mother Modern Plumbing is one example. As Roger’s post on how much plumbers make reports, Dustin Marx says his lowest-paid install plumber earns over $2,000 a week, about $104,000 a year, on a five-day week with no on-call.
The company also pays 50% of its profits to its plumbers, split by what each one contributes. Not every shop can copy that, but every shop can tie part of its pay to the work each plumber brings in.
Why does on-call time push plumbers out?
Because it eats the time they work for. The BLS says most plumbers work full time, including nights and weekends, and are often on call to handle emergencies.
A company that shares the on-call load fairly, pays well for it, or builds a schedule without it, the way Mother Modern runs a five-day week with no on-call, gives its plumbers their evenings back.
How does a clear license path keep plumbers?
It shows them where they are going. The BLS says most states and some localities require plumbers to be licensed, and each license opens more work and more pay.
- Pay the apprentice to learn, and say in writing what the raise is at each step.
- Give study time and help with the journeyman exam.
- Put the master license on the table for the plumbers who want to lead.
Roger lays out every step in how to become a plumber.
Can training in a specialty help keep good plumbers?
Yes, because a specialty is a raise the plumber can see. Roger explains why specialists get paid more, and leak detection is one specialty a plumbing company can add.
LeakPro leak detection training is a 2-day, hands-on course in Wylie, Texas, on a training slab with 12 real, live leaks. LeakPro says leak locate jobs commonly bill $250 to $500 or more, and that is work the company can send to the plumber it trained.
How does protecting a plumber’s body help them stay?
A plumber who is hurt cannot work. The BLS lists the common injuries in the trade: cuts from sharp tools, burns from hot pipes and soldering equipment, and falls from ladders.
Good tools, a second set of hands on heavy jobs and enough time to do the work safely all tell a plumber the company wants them around for the long haul.
What can a plumbing company do this week?
Start small and start now. Pick one of these and do it in the next seven days:
- Ask each plumber what would make them stay for the long run, and write down the answers.
- Put the raise for each license in writing.
- Look at who carries the on-call load and spread it fairly.
- Pick one specialty to train someone in this year.
Roger shares more on running a shop in 13 tips to grow your plumbing business and in hiring the best plumber, which covers onboarding, training and work-life balance.
Frequently asked questions about keeping good plumbers
These are the questions plumbing company owners ask most about holding on to their best people.
Why do plumbers leave plumbing companies?
Usually for better pay, better hours or a better future somewhere else. When a plumber cannot see their next raise or their next license, another shop’s offer starts to look good.
How much do plumbers make?
The BLS says the median was $63,800 a year, or $30.67 an hour, in May 2025. At Mother Modern Plumbing in Dallas-Fort Worth, the lowest-paid install plumber earns about $104,000 a year.
Does profit sharing help keep plumbers?
It can, when it is tied to real contribution. Mother Modern Plumbing pays 50% of its profits to its plumbers, split by what each one contributes.
How much does LeakPro leak detection training cost?
leak-pro.com lists $8,000 for the first booking, which covers one person, and $4,000 for each extra trainee, with up to 3 people per class. Every trainee needs a LeakPro Complete Kit, listed at $2,995.
Who is Roger Wakefield?
Roger Wakefield is a licensed Master Plumber with 45 years of experience who has run his own plumbing company. He is a trades educator with 1.7 million followers across platforms and more than 160 million YouTube views.
About Roger Wakefield
Roger started his YouTube channel in 2018 to make the phone ring for his plumbing company, and today he teaches the trades on YouTube and on The Trade Talks. Read Roger’s story, see his training programs, book Roger to speak, or watch his videos on YouTube.