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Licensed plumbers in Caldwell County, NC, Greater Hickory Metro Area: Workforce, Wages & Demand

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

Caldwell County, NC carries 52 licensed plumbers and a median wage of $51,330/yr ($24.68/hr).

52
licensed plumbers
$51,330
median annual wage (BLS OEWS, metro area)
58
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 6th percentile nationally for plumbers pay, below the median US county. Average weekly wages across the county's construction trades fell 0.4% year over year (BLS QCEW).

Where plumbers earn more near Caldwell County

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

CountyMedianDifferenceDistance
Letcher County, KY$64,160+$12,830109 mi
Harlan County, KY$64,160+$12,830113 mi
Pike County, KY$64,160+$12,830116 mi
Knott County, KY$64,160+$12,830125 mi
Perry County, KY$64,160+$12,830129 mi

Licensed workforce by level

Journeyman26
Contractor26

Licensed Plumber contractors near Caldwell County

Active, licensed firms and master-tier individuals on the NC register.

NameTier
1-Tom-Plumber Hickory (dba)Contractor
Amp Services, LLCContractor
Atlas Plumbing, Heating & A/cContractor
C & R Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning, LLCContractor
Donald Odell FordContractor
Duane Johnson Plumbing, LLCContractor
Ed Keefer PlumbingContractor
Edward GreeneContractor
Gary Dean GreerContractor
Glenn Scott JohnstonContractor

Caldwell County within the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro

Caldwell County holds 26% of the metro area's 203 licensed plumbers (the third-largest plumbers pool among its 4 counties), at 6.5 per 10,000 residents against 5.5 metro-wide; the largest pool is Catawba County with 76.

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 establishments12Physical business locations in this industry.
Annual industry payroll$5MTotal wages paid across those establishments (Census CBP, 2023).

How much work is in Caldwell 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 permitted501Last full year, county-wide. 62 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 employment649Everyone working in construction in this county, all trades and office staff. Average pay $1,025 per week. BLS QCEW.
Median year homes were built1980Older 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+443People who moved in minus people who moved out, from IRS address changes. Arrivals need housing, wiring, plumbing and heat.

Density and pipeline

6.5 licensed plumbers 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 Caldwell County, NC?
Caldwell County has 52 licensed plumbers on the NC register.
What do plumbers earn in Caldwell County?
The median annual wage for this occupation in this market is $51,330 ($24.68/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 Hickory specifically?
This page covers all of Caldwell County, NC, which is part of the Greater Hickory metro area (the Census-defined metro this county belongs to), so it includes but is not limited to Hickory proper.

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

Related pages

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Caldwell County, NC skilled trades market
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