---
title: "Electrician vs Plumber: Pay, Training and Daily Work"
description: "Electrician vs plumber compared with BLS data: May 2025 pay, growth, openings, training length, licensing and what the work is actually like."
url: https://shapemycareer.com/guides/electrician-vs-plumber/
updated: 2026-10-10
site: ShapeMyCareer
---

Guides · Electrician vs plumber

# Electrician vs plumber

Two licensed trades, two very different days.

Trade matchup

Both trades take about the same time to learn, both are licensed and both pay well. The real difference is the work itself.

In short

Electricians and plumbers both usually train through four to five year apprenticeships and need state or local licenses. At the median, electricians earned $63,190 and plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters $63,800 in May 2025. Electrical work leans toward troubleshooting circuits and code math; plumbing involves water, gas and drain systems, crawlspaces and a lot of customer service work.

**Sources checked October 10, 2026** Pay, training and outlook come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay is the middle (median) figure nationally; your first paycheck in the trade will usually be lower.

| Trade by trade | [Electricians](https://shapemycareer.com/trades/electrician/) | [Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters](https://shapemycareer.com/trades/plumbing/) |
|---|---|---|
| Middle pay (May 2025) | $63,190 | $63,800 |
| Per hour, roughly | $30.38 | $30.67 |
| How most start | High school or GED | High school or GED |
| On-the-job training | Apprenticeship | Apprenticeship |
| People in the trade (2025) | 821,000 | 510,600 |
| Growth, 2025 to 2035 | 9.2% | 6.8% |
| Openings a year | 72,700 | 42,000 |

Numbers: [BLS projections, 2025 to 2035](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm), U.S. middle pay. A guide for planning, not a quote from an employer.

## Daily work

|  | Electrician | Plumber |
|---|---|---|
| Main systems | Power, lighting, controls | Water supply, drains, gas |
| Tough parts | Attics, live circuits, code math | Crawlspaces, messes, heavy pipe |
| Service work | Some | A lot |

### Still deciding?

Tell us your ZIP and we will send programs for either trade.

[Find training near me](#smc-form)

## Straight answers

### Which pays more, electrician or plumber?

At the median, the two are close. See the table above for the May 2025 numbers.

### Which is harder to learn?

Most say electrical theory and code math are harder; plumbing is more physically demanding.

### Can I switch between them later?

Yes, but you would start a new apprenticeship.

## Where this comes from

- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electricians](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm)
- [Electricians in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm)
- [BLS OOH: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm)
- [BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (2025 to 2035)](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm)

## Keep looking

- [Electrician salary](https://shapemycareer.com/salary/electrician/)
- [Plumber salary](https://shapemycareer.com/salary/plumber/)
- [HVAC vs plumbing](https://shapemycareer.com/guides/hvac-vs-plumbing/)
- [Guides](https://shapemycareer.com/guides/)
- [CDL school cost](https://shapemycareer.com/guides/cdl-school-cost/)
- [Getting hired](https://shapemycareer.com/guides/getting-hired-in-construction/)
- [Equipment school](https://shapemycareer.com/guides/heavy-equipment-operator-school/)
- [Welding school length](https://shapemycareer.com/guides/how-long-is-welding-school/)

---
Canonical page: https://shapemycareer.com/guides/electrician-vs-plumber/