Minted Empire
GuidesDataAboutContactTwitter

How much do self-employed electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors make?

Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors. Census data for 2024. Figures are revenue before costs, not income.

Electrician in a blue hard hat inspecting a fuse board with a flashlight

Businesses

385,453

Revenue per firm

$69,368

Under $25,000

50.9%

Sole proprietors

89.9%

Census code 2382, "Building Equipment Contractors", covers electricians, plumbers, heating and air conditioning contractors and other installers of building systems.

In 2024, 385,453 US businesses with no paid employees were classified under this code. Between them they reported $26.7 billion in revenue, an average of $69,368 per firm, 19% above the $58,194 average for all businesses with no employees.

What stands out

Building equipment contractors report more revenue than most trades here. 50.9% of firms were under $25,000, below the all-industry 60.4%, and 19.6% reached $100,000 or more.

89.9% are sole proprietors, a little above average. Firms set up as partnerships or corporations averaged $169,109, about three times the $58,137 sole proprietors averaged.

New Hampshire holds 1.5 times its national share of these firms, Maine 1.5 and Texas 1.4. Among states with at least 500 firms, Oregon (0.44) and Washington (0.46) hold under half.

What a typical firm brings in

The average hides a wide spread. 31.7% of firms reported under $10,000 (all industries: 37.3%), 50.9% under $25,000 (all: 60.4%) and 66.8% under $50,000. 19.6% reached $100,000 or more (all: 13.3%). The middle firm falls in the "$10,000 to $24,999" bracket.

Share of 385,453 US firms in each revenue bracket, 2024. Shares use the national firm total and are rounded to one decimal; a band shown as 0% can hold a small number of firms, and bands without a published count are left out. Source: Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics.
  • Under $5,00020.1%
  • $5,000 to $9,99911.6%
  • $10,000 to $24,99919.3%
  • $25,000 to $49,99915.9%
  • $50,000 to $99,99913.5%
  • $100,000 to $249,99912.8%
  • $250,000 to $499,9995%
  • $500,000 to $999,9991.9%
  • $1 million to $2.5 million0%

How much is left after costs

The IRS Table 1 row nearest this trade, "Specialty trade contractors", does not match the scope of this Census category, so no matching profit figure is shown here.

How it varies by state

Texas has the most firms, at 56,828. Among the 49 states (including DC) with at least 500 firms, revenue per firm is highest in New Hampshire ($104,571) and lowest in Florida ($54,831). The Census assigns each business to a state by its mailing address, which may not be where the work is done. These data do not explain state differences or show take-home pay.

Alabama6,158$71,829+4%
Alaska*403$80,700+16%
Arizona7,757$74,688+8%
Arkansas4,285$74,395+7%
California35,435$75,164+8%
Colorado6,872$78,423+13%
Connecticut4,120$94,317+36%
Delaware915$85,351+23%
District of Columbia*328$36,189-48%
Florida43,879$54,831-21%
Georgia18,090$69,046-0%
Hawaii1,199$89,825+29%
Idaho1,872$72,280+4%
Illinois12,149$68,959-1%
Indiana5,814$66,336-4%
Iowa2,551$69,976+1%
Kansas2,592$72,212+4%
Kentucky5,291$74,047+7%
Louisiana5,883$67,804-2%
Maine2,287$90,489+30%
Maryland7,483$65,590-5%
Massachusetts8,973$85,601+23%
Michigan8,767$67,465-3%
Minnesota3,418$78,346+13%
Mississippi4,272$65,101-6%
Missouri6,070$70,860+2%
Montana1,078$87,434+26%
Nebraska1,780$69,043-0%
Nevada2,421$57,826-17%
New Hampshire2,219$104,571+51%
New Jersey9,270$79,849+15%
New Mexico1,907$61,607-11%
New York20,151$57,696-17%
North Carolina12,465$64,101-8%
North Dakota574$83,451+20%
Ohio10,223$66,472-4%
Oklahoma4,903$73,081+5%
Oregon1,801$84,740+22%
Pennsylvania12,946$77,178+11%
Rhode Island1,034$65,190-6%
South Carolina6,712$75,793+9%
South Dakota789$78,005+12%
Tennessee9,943$83,591+21%
Texas56,828$64,235-7%
Utah2,793$69,919+1%
Vermont1,089$98,566+42%
Virginia8,637$66,261-4%
Washington3,179$83,148+20%
West Virginia1,275$57,081-18%
Wisconsin4,050$88,336+27%
Wyoming523$72,751+5%

* Fewer than 500 firms, so the average is less stable. Click a column heading to sort. Receipts are modified by the Census Bureau to protect privacy.

Frequently asked questions

How much do self-employed electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors make?

Census data for 2024 show 385,453 US businesses with no paid employees in this trade, reporting an average of $69,368 in revenue each. 50.9% took in under $25,000, against 60.4% of all businesses with no employees. Revenue is what the business takes in before costs, so it is not the owner's income.

Which state has the highest revenue per firm for self-employed electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors?

Among the 49 states (including DC) with at least 500 firms, New Hampshire had the highest average revenue per firm, at $104,571, and Florida the lowest, at $54,831. States are assigned by business mailing address, and these figures do not show take-home pay.

Sources and method

Other trades