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Licensed plumbers in Howard County, TX, Greater Big Spring Metro Area: Workforce, Wages & Demand

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

Howard County, TX carries 54 licensed plumbers and a median wage of $59,840/yr ($28.77/hr).

54
licensed plumbers
$59,840
median annual wage (BLS OEWS, state)
34
construction demand index

See where plumbers earn more near you

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How the pay compares

This county sits at the 32th percentile nationally for plumbers pay, below the median US county. Average weekly wages across the county's construction trades rose 12.8% year over year (BLS QCEW).

Where plumbers earn more near Howard County

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

CountyMedianDifferenceDistance
Ector County, TX$61,870+$2,03071 mi
Lea County, NM$61,440+$1,600120 mi
Martin County, TX$60,700+$86031 mi
Midland County, TX$60,700+$86047 mi

Licensed workforce by level

Apprentice17
Intermediate3
Journeyman17
Master5
Contractor10

Licensed Plumber contractors near Howard County

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

NameTier
Buster Dean Gartman JrContractor
David Wayne BuchananContractor
Derrick Scott WhitmoreContractor
Edward Lee RoachContractor
Felix M. MartinezContractor
Gary Allen BryantContractor
Randal W RoachContractor
Stanley Wilson StallingsContractor
Tyler Michael RoachContractor
Windol Leon LunsfordContractor
Chad KinardMaster
Mark Edward WinnMaster
Mark L. HyattMaster
Mitchell E MurrayMaster
Randy W. ChildressMaster

Who entered and left in the last 12 months

Counted from ATI's nightly diff of the TX register itself, over the trailing year. Runs that failed a data-quality gate are excluded, so a scraper outage is never reported as workers leaving.

MovementWorkersWhat it means
New licences issued2People who entered the licensed workforce here.
Licences lapsed2Expired or not renewed. Retirement, relocation or leaving the trade.
Moved up a credential tier0Apprentice to journeyman, journeyman to master, and so on.
Net change0New licences minus lapsed. Negative means the licensed base shrank.

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 establishments9Physical business locations in this industry.
Industry employment40Everyone on those payrolls, not only licensed trades.
Annual industry payroll$1MTotal wages paid across those establishments (Census CBP, 2023).

How much work is in Howard 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 permitted6Last full year, county-wide. 2 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 employment734Everyone working in construction in this county, all trades and office staff. Average pay $1,561 per week. BLS QCEW.
Median year homes were built1966Older 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-3People who moved in minus people who moved out, from IRS address changes. Arrivals need housing, wiring, plumbing and heat.

Density and pipeline

17.0 licensed plumbers per 10,000 residents; 0.3 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 Howard County, TX?
Howard County has 54 licensed plumbers on the TX register.
What do plumbers earn in Howard County?
The median annual wage for this occupation in this market is $59,840 ($28.77/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 Big Spring specifically?
This page covers all of Howard County, TX, which is part of the Greater Big Spring metro area (the Census-defined metro this county belongs to), so it includes but is not limited to Big Spring proper.

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

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