Commercial plumbing recruiters serving Dayton.
Conventional commercial plumbing in Dayton tracks close to national parity. Kettering Health's $40M Greene County investment - a new Xenia medical center plus Greene Memorial Hospital renovations - needs healthcare-grade plumbing, a smaller, higher-skill niche on top of that.
Near national parity, plus one healthcare niche.
Commercial plumbers in Dayton earn close to the national average - a genuinely balanced market.
Kettering Health's $40M Greene County investment - a new Xenia medical center plus Greene Memorial Hospital renovations, groundbreaking April 2026 - needs healthcare-grade plumbing. The metro overview names this a smaller niche, commanding roughly 11% more than the conventional Dayton rate.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial plumbing contractors in Dayton, and we screen for Ohio's OCILB plumbing licensing and the medical gas certification hospital-adjacent roles require.
The story behind the specialty.
One named healthcare investment, adding a plumbing layer on top of an otherwise balanced market.
-
A new Xenia medical center plus renovations at Greene Memorial Hospital, groundbreaking April 2026 and complete late 2028. The metro overview names healthcare-grade plumbing as a smaller niche tied to these two concurrent facility projects.
What you'll actually pay - by plumbing role.
Hourly wage ranges based on BLS OEWS data for the Dayton MSA. The conventional-plumber row matches the metro overview's own published figure directly. Read the "notes" column for context on the derived healthcare-grade premium. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Plumbing Salary Guide.
| Role | Dayton range | Typical experience | Market notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial plumber (journeyman) | $25 – $32/hr | 3-7 yrs | Matches the commercial plumber figure already published on the Dayton metro overview (-2% under national, effectively near parity) |
| Apprentice plumber | $17 – $21/hr | 0-3 yrs | Tracks close to the national apprentice range |
| Healthcare-grade plumber (Kettering Health Greene County facilities) | $28 – $36/hr | 5+ yrs | Derived by borrowing the sibling healthcare-construction electrician's ~11% premium ratio already published on the metro overview and applying it to the conventional-plumber row |
| Plumbing foreman | $28 – $36/hr | 7+ yrs | Healthcare-project experience is a real differentiator for supervisory roles |
| Plumbing project manager | $34 – $44/hr | 5-10 yrs | Healthcare or federal-facility portfolio experience adds a real premium in this market |
| Plumbing superintendent | $39 – $51/hr | 10+ yrs | Matches the broader Dayton commercial superintendent range already published on the metro overview |
| Plumbing estimator (5+ yrs) | $41 – $53/hr | 5+ yrs | Matches the Dayton commercial estimator figure already published on the metro overview |
Source: BLS OEWS (Dayton MSA), plumbing occupational codes, projected to 2026. Actual offer rates depend on certifications (ASSE 6010/6020, OCILB licensure), hospital-construction experience, and years of experience.
What candidates expect. What credentials matter. What kills offers.
We don't tell prospective clients who their competitors are hiring - that's a discipline our clients value, and we'll honor it on a call. What we will share publicly: how the Dayton commercial plumbing hiring game actually plays out in 2026. The five things below are what we tell every Dayton plumbing client at intake.
Why healthcare-grade plumbing is a real niche here
Most Dayton commercial plumbing tracks close to national parity. Kettering Health's $40M Greene County investment - a new Xenia medical center plus Greene Memorial Hospital renovations - needs healthcare-grade plumbing, a smaller, higher-skill niche the metro overview names explicitly.
Where Dayton commercial plumbing talent comes from
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial plumbing contractors in Dayton. Conventional plumbing draws on a deep, balanced regional pipeline; healthcare-grade plumbers are the harder fill.
Credentials worth filtering for
Ohio regulates plumbing statewide through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), requiring a qualifying individual to pass a trade exam and a business/law exam, plus at least $500,000 in liability insurance. Medical gas installer certification (ASSE 6010/6020) is the credential that actually matters for Kettering Health-adjacent roles.
What candidates expect from a Dayton plumbing offer in 2026
Conventional plumbing comp runs close to national parity. Healthcare-grade specialty candidates expect the additional premium Kettering Health's concurrent facility projects command.
Realistic timelines, by role
Field roles: 4-6 weeks intake to signed offer. Healthcare-grade plumbers: 6-8 weeks, because that specific specialty is thinner locally even though the general labor market is balanced and deep. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The plumbing positions we fill, most often.
Across all Dayton commercial plumbing clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months. Healthcare-grade plumbers are the role in genuine short supply - everything else draws on Dayton's own steady, balanced pipeline.
- Commercial plumber (journeyman)
- Apprentice plumber
- Healthcare-grade plumber (ASSE 6010/6020)
- Plumbing foreman
- Plumbing project manager
- Plumbing superintendent
- Plumbing estimator
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Dayton, see the Dayton metro overview. To learn more about the commercial plumbing vertical generally (across all 100+ markets we serve), see our Commercial Plumbing industry page.
How we recruit commercial plumbing in Dayton, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Dayton's commercial plumbing segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Dayton plumbing, we also confirm whether the role touches Kettering Health's Greene County facilities and, if so, exactly what medical gas certification the specific scope requires.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Dayton plumbing candidate network for conventional roles. For healthcare-grade roles, we draw on candidates with verified hospital-facility experience specifically.
- Vetted short list (week one for standard roles). Three to five candidates. We verify certifications - ASSE 6010/6020 for medical gas roles, current OCILB licensure. We confirm real hospital experience rather than a line on a resume.
- Offer and close. Field roles close in 4-6 weeks. Healthcare-grade plumbers run 6-8 weeks. We help with offer math against Dayton's own wage table.
Dayton sits at about the national rate for commercial plumbing — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Dayton's commercial plumbing market compares
In 2023 the Dayton metro had 69 nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors (counted by business location), with about 1,570 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $74,576, 13.1% below the national average of $85,782 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 7.8% over the year, faster than the 3.8% national increase, so local employers were adding people quicker than most of the country. The number of these employers rose 4.5%, more firms competing for the same crews. That works out to 8.5 per 100,000 residents, close to the 8.8 national rate. These firms account for 11.2% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Dayton ranks 69th for headcount, 52nd for median pay and 57th for concentration for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | 3,640 | $65,160 | 1.10 | 204 |
| Columbus | 3,060 | $63,260 | 0.93 | 151 |
| Cleveland | 3,040 | $63,020 | 0.98 | 191 |
| Dayton | 1,130 | $62,940 | 1.01 | 69 |
| Akron | 1,070 | $63,450 | 1.11 | 54 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial plumbing employers in Dayton, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Dayton metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Dayton's commercial plumbing market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors in Dayton rose from 61 in 2018 to 69 in 2023, up 13%, ahead of the 2% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 16%, to about 1,570 people. Average annual pay there went from $62,554 to $74,576 (+19%), in step with the 22% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors: business locations | 61 | 69 | +13% |
| Nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors: employment | 1,356 | 1,570 | +16% |
| Nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors: average annual pay | $62,554 | $74,576 | +19% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Frequently asked — commercial plumbing hiring in Dayton.
What is a commercial plumber paid in Dayton in 2026?
Commercial plumbers (journeyman) in Dayton typically earn $25–$32/hr, close to national parity (about 2% below). Healthcare-grade plumbers serving Kettering Health's Greene County facilities command $28–$36/hr.
Why does Kettering Health drive a plumbing specialty in Dayton?
Kettering Health is investing $40M in Greene County - a new $25M Xenia medical center plus $15M in Greene Memorial Hospital renovations. The metro overview names healthcare-grade plumbing as a smaller, higher-skill niche tied to these two concurrent facility projects.
Does Ohio require a specific license for commercial plumbers in Dayton?
Yes. Ohio regulates plumbing statewide through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), requiring a qualifying individual to pass a trade exam and a business/law exam, plus at least $500,000 in liability insurance.
Are Dayton plumbing wages higher than the national average?
They're close to national parity for conventional roles (about 2% below). The healthcare-grade specialty tied to Kettering Health runs meaningfully higher, at roughly 11% above the conventional Dayton rate.
What do plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earn in Dayton?
BLS puts the Dayton median for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters at $62,940 a year, about the same as the $63,800 national median. That ranks 55th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Experience carries a clear premium, $46,680 at the 10th percentile against $99,180 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. Within Ohio, Cincinnati pays more, at $65,160.
Is it hard to hire plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Dayton?
It is about average. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are as common in Dayton as they are nationally (location quotient 1.01), with about 1,130 in the metro. The 69 nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors here average about 23 employees per location. With 13% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial plumbing roles pay the most in Dayton?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Dayton, a $98,070 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Plumber / Pipefitter at $62,940, 36% below it. Plumbing Helper / Apprentice is the lowest-paid field role at $45,660. Relative to national pay, Plumbing Helper / Apprentice is the strongest-paying role here (8% above). Project Manager trails national pay the most (15% below).
How many nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors operate in Dayton?
BLS counted 69 nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors in Dayton in 2023, employing about 1,570 people between them. Up from 61 in 2018, a 13% increase against 2% growth nationally. That averages 23 people per location. They pay an average of $74,576, 13% below the $85,782 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Dayton for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cincinnati (47 miles, about 3,640, $65,160 median), Columbus (65 miles, about 3,060, $63,260 median) and Indianapolis (104 miles, about 4,010, $76,980 median). Cincinnati has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Indianapolis pays 22% more, which is where Dayton employers tend to lose people.
One commercial plumbing seat is open in Ohio right now.
Nothing is open for this trade in Dayton this week. These are the live commercial plumbing searches elsewhere in Ohio - commuting distance for some of them, a relocation conversation for the rest.
- Journeyman PlumberApply →
Every open role we are running →
Board last synced September 28, 2026. Roles move fast; /jobs/ is always the current list.
Hiring commercial plumbing in Dayton?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.