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Licensed plumbers in Boone County, IA, Greater Ames Metro Area: Workforce, Wages & Demand

Licensed supply, credential mix, wages and demand outlook for plumbers in Boone County, IA, updated nightly from the state register and BLS.

Boone County, IA carries 126 licensed plumbers and a median wage of $63,820/yr ($30.68/hr).

126
licensed plumbers
$63,820
median annual wage (BLS OEWS, metro area)
62
construction demand index

See where plumbers earn more near you

A free report on your market: what the trade pays here, where your credential sits against the local licensed workforce, and the nearby counties that pay more, with the difference and the distance. No account needed.

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How the pay compares

This county sits at the 58th percentile nationally for plumbers pay, above the median US county. Average weekly wages across the county's construction trades fell 3.4% year over year (BLS QCEW).

Where plumbers earn more near Boone County

Counties within 150 miles whose published median for this occupation is higher than Boone County's. Medians from the same BLS OEWS series shown above, not offers, and pay is only one reason to move.

CountyMedianDifferenceDistance
Faribault County, MN$94,410+$30,590113 mi
Freeborn County, MN$94,410+$30,590117 mi
Martin County, MN$94,410+$30,590117 mi
Mower County, MN$94,410+$30,590127 mi
Jackson County, MN$94,410+$30,590128 mi

Licensed workforce by level

Journeyman126

Boone County within the Ames, IA metro

Boone County holds 45% of the metro area's 278 licensed plumbers (the second-largest plumbers pool among its 2 counties), at 47.4 per 10,000 residents against 22.2 metro-wide; the largest pool is Story County with 152.

Who employs plumbers here

Employment from the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages for the industry this trade sits in; payroll from the Census County Business Patterns. Establishment counts are QCEW where the county is disclosed and an ATI estimate otherwise.

MeasureValueWhat it counts
Employer establishments5Physical business locations in this industry.
Annual industry payroll$13MTotal wages paid across those establishments (Census CBP, 2023).

How much work is in Boone County

County-wide construction activity, across all trades rather than plumbers specifically. Each figure names its source and the period it covers.

MeasureValueWhat it means for you
New housing units permitted207Last full year, county-wide. 78 per 10,000 residents. Permits lead construction hiring by months, so this is the earliest honest signal of work arriving (Census Building Permits Survey).
Construction employment432Everyone working in construction in this county, all trades and office staff. Average pay $1,459 per week. BLS QCEW.
Median year homes were built1960Older stock means more repair, replacement and retrofit work, which is steadier than new build and does not stop in a downturn (Census ACS).
Net migration-20People who moved in minus people who moved out, from IRS address changes. Arrivals need housing, wiring, plumbing and heat.

Density and pipeline

47.4 licensed plumbers per 10,000 residents; 12.4 apprentices per 10,000 residents. A thin pipeline against an ageing licensed base is how a shortage forms years before it shows up in wages.

Common questions

How many licensed plumbers are in Boone County, IA?
Boone County has 126 licensed plumbers on the IA register.
What do plumbers earn in Boone County?
The median annual wage for this occupation in this market is $63,820 ($30.68/hour), per BLS OEWS.
Is this a job board?
No. This page is ATI's own licensed-workforce and market data for this county and trade. Job listings above, where present, are an additive real-time layer, not the page's core content.
Is this page for Ames specifically?
This page covers all of Boone County, IA, which is part of the Greater Ames metro area (the Census-defined metro this county belongs to), so it includes but is not limited to Ames proper.

License register: 2026-09-17; Wages: 2025-05-31; Demand: 2026-09-17; Apprenticeship: 2025-12-31.

Related pages

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Boone County, IA skilled trades market
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Hvac Technicians in Boone County, IA
Market
Iowa licensed trades supply
Statewide
How many plumbers in Iowa
This number changes tonight.

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