Plumbing and HVAC Employment by County: Where Contractor Jobs Grew Fastest, 2019 to 2025
The short answer
Among the 135 US counties with at least 2,000 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractor jobs in 2019, employment grew fastest to 2025 in Washoe County, Nevada (+56.7 percent), Tarrant County, Texas (+53.5) and Ada County, Idaho (+52.7), against +15.8 percent nationally, according to BLS QCEW. 20 of the 135 counties lost jobs, led by San Mateo County, California (-20.3 percent) and New York City’s boroughs.
What the table shows
County data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages shows where the contractor industry is actually adding and losing workers. This report compares 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, with 2025 for every county that had at least 2,000 jobs in the industry in 2019 and where BLS disclosed both years: 135 counties holding most of the industry’s employment.
| County | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Avg pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washoe County, Nevada | 2,071 | 3,245 | +56.7% | $86,052 |
| Tarrant County, Texas | 7,009 | 10,762 | +53.5% | $87,155 |
| Ada County, Idaho | 2,490 | 3,803 | +52.7% | $83,228 |
| Milwaukee County, Wisconsin | 2,251 | 3,403 | +51.2% | $105,764 |
| Williamson County, Texas | 2,757 | 4,151 | +50.6% | $79,271 |
| DuPage County, Illinois | 4,183 | 5,922 | +41.6% | $104,818 |
| Bernalillo County, New Mexico | 2,444 | 3,449 | +41.1% | $73,171 |
| Davidson County, Tennessee | 4,312 | 6,042 | +40.1% | $91,416 |
| Jefferson County, Colorado | 2,114 | 2,896 | +37.0% | $89,541 |
| Gwinnett County, Georgia | 3,948 | 5,397 | +36.7% | $90,860 |
| Kent County, Michigan | 3,692 | 5,043 | +36.6% | $91,456 |
| Henrico County, Virginia | 2,222 | 3,036 | +36.6% | $77,036 |
| Brevard County, Florida | 2,599 | 3,544 | +36.4% | $68,138 |
| Lee County, Florida | 5,061 | 6,882 | +36.0% | $69,783 |
| Hennepin County, Minnesota | 4,364 | 5,935 | +36.0% | $104,030 |
| Marion County, Indiana | 5,071 | 6,858 | +35.2% | $90,649 |
| Maricopa County, Arizona | 20,668 | 27,759 | +34.3% | $86,052 |
| Montgomery County, Pennsylvania | 3,681 | 4,922 | +33.7% | $105,041 |
| Fresno County, California | 2,505 | 3,317 | +32.4% | $74,315 |
| Polk County, Iowa | 3,727 | 4,936 | +32.4% | $93,825 |
Source: BLS QCEW annual averages, private ownership, NAICS 23822. Top 20 of the counties meeting the size threshold. All counties are in the CSV.
Sourced figures
- US plumbing and HVAC contractor employment: 1,136,157 in 2019, 1,315,566 in 2025, +15.8 percent. Source: BLS QCEW.
- Largest county industries in 2025: Maricopa County, Arizona 27,759, Los Angeles County, California 21,930, Harris County, Texas 21,140, Dallas County, Texas 16,575, Orange County, California 15,786. Source: BLS QCEW.
- Fastest growth: Washoe County, Nevada +56.7 percent (2,071 to 3,245); Tarrant County, Texas +53.5 percent (7,009 to 10,762); Ada County, Idaho +52.7 percent (2,490 to 3,803); Milwaukee County, Wisconsin +51.2 percent (2,251 to 3,403); Williamson County, Texas +50.6 percent (2,757 to 4,151). Source: calculated from BLS QCEW.
- Largest declines: San Mateo County, California -20.3 percent; New York County, New York -19.7 percent; Queens County, New York -18.2 percent; Middlesex County, New Jersey -16.3 percent; Kings County, New York -13.3 percent. Source: calculated from BLS QCEW.
- New York City boroughs in the sample: Bronx County, New York -6.3 percent; Kings County, New York -13.3 percent; Queens County, New York -18.2 percent; New York County, New York -19.7 percent. Source: calculated from BLS QCEW.
- Counties with job losses: 20 of 135. Source: calculated from BLS QCEW.
What we calculated
The growth map is suburban and mid-size
Formula. Percentage change in annual average employment, 2019 to 2025, ranked.
Calculation. Counties ranked by change; top 20 shown above.
Finding. The fastest growth is in suburban and mid-size metro counties such as those around Reno, Fort Worth, Boise and Austin. Several core big-city counties grew slowly or shrank.
Limitations. QCEW records jobs where the employing establishment is located. A contractor headquartered in one county and working across a metro counts in its home county, and a single large firm relocating can move a county’s figure sharply.
New York City lost contractor jobs while the country added them
Formula. Change for the NYC boroughs meeting the threshold.
Calculation. Bronx County, New York 2,842 to 2,664; Kings County, New York 7,787 to 6,754; Queens County, New York 10,794 to 8,832; New York County, New York 4,185 to 3,359.
Finding. The city’s boroughs moved against the national trend. Rising costs and the relocation of contractor bases to surrounding counties are both consistent with that, but the county data cannot separate them.
Limitations. Staten Island (Richmond County) is below the size threshold and not shown.
If you quote one number
- Washoe County, Nevada: plumbing and HVAC contractor jobs up 57 percent from 2019 to 2025.
- Nationally the industry grew 15.8 percent.
- 20 large counties lost jobs, including New York City’s boroughs.
Download the data
All 135 counties with 2019 employment of 2,000 or more and disclosed data in both years. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Attribution: The Plumbing Brief.
Plumbing and HVAC contractor employment change by county, 2019 to 2025 (CSV)
How this report was built
Methodology
Source. BLS QCEW 2019 and 2025 annual averages by industry, NAICS 23822, private ownership, county level, downloaded 4 October 2026.
Selection. Counties with 2019 employment of at least 2,000 and no disclosure suppression in either year.
Derived figures. Percentage changes calculated by The Plumbing Brief.
Retrieval date. 4 October 2026.
Data limitations
- Plumbing is combined with HVAC.
- Jobs are counted at the establishment’s location, not where the work is done.
- Small counties are excluded; a high percentage change on a small base would not be meaningful.
- The self-employed are excluded.
- 2025 county figures are the first published and can be revised.
Source quality ranking
Tier 1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW.
Tier 2. None used. Tier 3. None used.
Summary for reporters
Employment at plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors grew 15.8 percent nationally between 2019 and 2025, but far faster in a handful of counties, led by Washoe County, Nevada (+56.7 percent), Tarrant County, Texas (+53.5) and Ada County, Idaho (+52.7), according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data by The Plumbing Brief. Of 135 large counties, 20 lost jobs, including the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.
Angles this supports
- Washoe County, Nevada leads the plumbing jobs boom
- Where plumbing and HVAC jobs grew fastest since the pandemic
- New York City is losing plumbing contractor jobs
- The suburban county map of the trade
Questions this answers
Where are plumbing jobs growing fastest? Among large counties, Washoe County, Nevada, Tarrant County, Texas and Ada County, Idaho grew plumbing and HVAC contractor employment fastest from 2019 to 2025.
Which county has the most plumbing contractor jobs? Maricopa County, Arizona, with 27,759 in 2025.
Are plumbing jobs declining anywhere? Yes. 20 of 135 large counties lost jobs, led by San Mateo County, California.
Why might a county’s numbers jump? QCEW counts jobs at the employer’s location, so a large firm opening or moving a base shifts its county’s total.
How to cite this report
The Plumbing Brief, “Plumbing and HVAC Employment by County: Where Contractor Jobs Grew Fastest, 2019 to 2025”, https://theplumbingbrief.com/plumbing-hvac-employment-by-county/, accessed [date].
Last reviewed: 2026-10-04.
