Licensed supply, credential mix, wages and demand outlook for plumbers in Watauga County, NC, updated nightly from the state register and BLS.
Watauga County, NC carries 62 licensed plumbers and a median wage of $57,080/yr ($27.44/hr).
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This county sits at the 17th percentile nationally for plumbers pay, below the median US county. Average weekly wages across the county's construction trades fell 1.3% year over year (BLS QCEW).
Counties within 150 miles whose published median for this occupation is higher than Watauga County's. Medians from the same BLS OEWS series shown above, not offers, and pay is only one reason to move.
| County | Median | Difference | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letcher County, KY | $64,160 | +$7,080 | 88 mi |
| Harlan County, KY | $64,160 | +$7,080 | 94 mi |
| Pike County, KY | $64,160 | +$7,080 | 95 mi |
| Knott County, KY | $64,160 | +$7,080 | 103 mi |
| Floyd County, KY | $64,160 | +$7,080 | 107 mi |
Active, licensed firms and master-tier individuals on the NC register.
| Name | Tier |
|---|---|
| A & S Plumbing, LLC | Contractor |
| A & W Dacchille, Inc. | Contractor |
| Amy Reed Miller | Contractor |
| Appalachian Energy (dba) | Contractor |
| Best Power Solutions LLC | Contractor |
| Bob Johnson Plumbing Co. | Contractor |
| Dana Alvin Millsaps | Contractor |
| Douglas Curtis Krause | Contractor |
| Elias Gage Nichols | Contractor |
| Essential Services Of North Carolina, LLC | Contractor |
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.
| Measure | Value | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Employer establishments | 23 | Physical business locations in this industry. |
| Industry employment | 195 | Everyone on those payrolls, not only licensed trades. |
| Annual industry payroll | $9M | Total wages paid across those establishments (Census CBP, 2023). |
County-wide construction activity, across all trades rather than plumbers specifically. Each figure names its source and the period it covers.
| Measure | Value | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| New housing units permitted | 536 | Last full year, county-wide. 98 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 employment | 592 | Everyone working in construction in this county, all trades and office staff. Average pay $986 per week. BLS QCEW. |
| Median year homes were built | 1988 | Older 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 | -81 | People who moved in minus people who moved out, from IRS address changes. Arrivals need housing, wiring, plumbing and heat. |
11.3 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.
License register: 2026-09-17; Wages: 2025-05-31; Demand: 2026-09-17.
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