Commercial plumbing recruiters serving San Antonio.
UT Health's and Methodist's civilian hospital expansion needs medical gas certified plumbers, while Brooke Army Medical Center and Joint Base San Antonio need the same certification plus federal security clearance. We'll tell you honestly which specialty your role actually needs.
Near parity, except at two named healthcare drivers.
San Antonio commercial plumbers earn close to the BLS national average for conventional journeyman work - a genuinely balanced market, reflecting San Antonio's lower cost of labor than Dallas or Austin.
UT Health San Antonio and the South Texas Medical Center are the first exception - a $400M+ civilian hospital and research expansion running through 2027. Brooke Army Medical Center and Joint Base San Antonio are the second, and the higher-premium one: the same medical gas certification, plus security clearance and Davis-Bacon prevailing wage familiarity.
That's why San Antonio has two distinct medical gas plumbing tiers rather than one - a civilian specialty and a meaningfully higher-paying federal/military one, while conventional commercial plumbing stays close to the national baseline.
The two drivers shaping this market.
Both need medical gas plumbers. Only one requires federal security clearance.
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Research, hospital, and academic build-out running 2024-2027 - the primary civilian driver behind San Antonio's medical gas plumber premium.
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Continuous federal medical and base construction demanding cleared, licensed medical gas plumbers - a second, higher-premium driver of the same underlying specialty.
What you'll actually pay - by plumbing role.
Hourly wage ranges based on BLS OEWS data for the San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA. The anchor row matches the commercial plumber figure already published on the metro overview - close to national parity. Read the "notes" column for which specialty tracks break from that pattern. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Plumbing Salary Guide.
| Role | San Antonio range | Typical experience | Market notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial plumber (journeyman) | $26 – $33/hr | 3-7 yrs | Matches the commercial plumber figure already published on the San Antonio metro overview (+2% over national) |
| Apprentice plumber | $18 – $24/hr | 0-3 yrs | A steady entry pipeline through Alamo Colleges construction and trade programs |
| Medical gas certified plumber (UT Health, Methodist, South Texas Medical Center) | $29 – $37/hr | 5+ yrs | UT Health's and the South Texas Medical Center's $400M+ expansion pipeline keeps this specialty in especially short supply - priced using San Antonio's own conventional-plumber premium (+2%) applied to the national medical-gas baseline |
| Federal/military medical gas plumber (BAMC, JBSA) | $34 – $44/hr | 5+ yrs | Brooke Army Medical Center and Joint Base San Antonio need cleared, licensed medical gas plumbers - priced using the "20-25% for security clearance and Davis-Bacon prevailing wage familiarity" premium already published on the San Antonio metro overview for military-facility work |
| Pipefitter / steamfitter | $30 – $38/hr | 5+ yrs | Matches the pipefitter/steamfitter figure already published on the San Antonio metro overview |
| Plumbing foreman | $34 – $44/hr | 7+ yrs | Texas State Board licensing and clearance eligibility (for JBSA-adjacent work) are real differentiators |
| Plumbing project manager | $40 – $52/hr | 5-10 yrs | Healthcare or federal/military portfolio experience adds a real premium |
| Plumbing superintendent | $44 – $57/hr | 10+ yrs | Matches the broader San Antonio commercial superintendent premium already published on the metro overview |
| Plumbing estimator | $43 – $55/hr | 5+ yrs | Matches the San Antonio commercial estimator figure already published on the metro overview |
Source: BLS OEWS (San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA), plumbing occupational codes, projected to 2026. Actual offer rates depend on certifications (ASSE 6010/6020, Texas state licensing), federal clearance eligibility, and Davis-Bacon prevailing wage experience where applicable.
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 San Antonio commercial plumbing hiring game actually plays out in 2026. The five things below are what we tell every San Antonio plumbing client at intake.
Where San Antonio commercial plumbing talent comes from
Alamo Colleges construction and trade programs feed a steady open-shop pipeline for conventional journeyman work, close to national wage parity. Medical gas certified plumbers are the scarcer profile - and within that specialty, JBSA-adjacent candidates who can also clear federal security requirements are scarcer still.
Credentials worth filtering for
Plumbers are licensed through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Medical gas installer certification (ASSE 6010/6020) is the credential that actually matters for UT Health-, Methodist-, or BAMC-adjacent roles. For JBSA-adjacent work, confirm the candidate can actually clear base security requirements and has real Davis-Bacon prevailing wage familiarity before committing to a timeline.
What candidates expect from a San Antonio plumbing offer in 2026
Comp close to national parity for conventional roles - San Antonio candidates don't expect a Dallas- or Austin-style premium. Medical gas candidates know they're the scarce profile, and JBSA-adjacent candidates know their federal clearance and prevailing-wage experience commands the top of the specialty range.
What kills San Antonio commercial plumbing hires
Assuming a BAMC- or JBSA-adjacent candidate can clear base security requirements without verifying it first - that's the single biggest timeline risk for this specialty. Treating a UT Health- or Methodist-adjacent medical gas role like conventional commercial plumbing.
Realistic timelines, by role
Field journeymen and apprentices: 3-5 weeks intake to signed offer. Civilian medical gas certified plumbers: 6-9 weeks. Federal/military medical gas plumbers: 7-10 weeks, given specialized experience and clearance verification. We tell you which bucket your role is in on the intake call.
The plumbing positions we fill, most often.
Across all San Antonio commercial plumbing clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months. Medical gas certified plumbers - civilian and federal/military - are the roles in genuine short supply - everything else draws on a steady, near-parity conventional pipeline.
- Commercial plumber (journeyman)
- Apprentice plumber
- Medical gas certified plumber (UT Health, Methodist)
- Federal/military medical gas plumber (BAMC, JBSA)
- Pipefitter / steamfitter
- Plumbing foreman
- Plumbing project manager
- Plumbing superintendent
- Plumbing estimator
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in San Antonio, see the San Antonio 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 San Antonio, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in San Antonio commercial plumbing specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For San Antonio plumbing, we also confirm whether the role touches UT Health, Methodist, or BAMC/JBSA and, if the latter, exactly what security clearance the specific scope requires.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing San Antonio plumbing candidate network for conventional commercial roles, which is genuinely available. For medical gas roles, we draw on candidates with verified hospital-facility experience; for JBSA-adjacent roles, we draw on candidates with existing federal clearance eligibility.
- Vetted short list (week one for standard roles). Three to five candidates. We verify certifications - ASSE 6010/6020 for medical gas roles, current Texas State Board licensing status. For JBSA-adjacent roles, we confirm clearance eligibility before presenting a candidate.
- Offer and close. Field roles close in 3-5 weeks. Civilian medical gas certified plumbers 6-9 weeks; federal/military medical gas plumbers 7-10 weeks, given clearance verification. We help with offer math against San Antonio's own wage table.
San Antonio runs 5% fewer commercial plumbing workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration.
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 San Antonio's commercial plumbing market compares
In 2023 the San Antonio metro had 229 nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors (counted by business location), with about 3,907 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $68,011, 20.7% below the national average of $85,782 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 0.4% over the year, a little behind the 3.8% national increase. That works out to 8.5 per 100,000 residents, close to the 8.8 national rate. These firms account for 6.1% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, San Antonio ranks 32nd for headcount, 78th for median pay and 69th for concentration for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 11,980 | $61,250 | 0.99 | 780 |
| Houston | 10,980 | $61,300 | 1.11 | 613 |
| Austin | 5,260 | $62,810 | 1.36 | 269 |
| San Antonio | 3,190 | $58,180 | 0.95 | 229 |
| El Paso | 640 | $53,560 | 0.63 | 74 |
| McAllen | 360 | $46,110 | 0.41 | 60 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial plumbing employers in San Antonio, 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, San Antonio metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How San Antonio's commercial plumbing market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors in San Antonio rose from 221 in 2018 to 229 in 2023, up 4%, close to the 2% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 3%, to about 3,907 people. Average annual pay there went from $53,586 to $68,011 (+27%), faster than the 22% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors: business locations | 221 | 229 | +4% |
| Nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors: employment | 3,780 | 3,907 | +3% |
| Nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors: average annual pay | $53,586 | $68,011 | +27% |
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 San Antonio.
What is a commercial plumber paid in San Antonio in 2026?
Commercial plumbers (journeyman) in San Antonio typically earn $26–$33/hr, close to the BLS national average. The real standouts are medical gas certified plumbers serving UT Health's and the South Texas Medical Center's expansion pipeline ($29–$37/hr) and federal/military medical gas plumbers serving Brooke Army Medical Center and Joint Base San Antonio ($34–$44/hr, given security clearance and Davis-Bacon requirements).
Why does San Antonio have two distinct medical gas plumbing premiums?
UT Health San Antonio and the South Texas Medical Center are running a $400M+ civilian hospital and research expansion through 2027, needing medical gas certification. Separately, Brooke Army Medical Center and Joint Base San Antonio anchor the largest DoD medical and military construction footprint in the country, and that work additionally requires security clearance and Davis-Bacon prevailing wage familiarity - which is why the federal/military specialty commands a meaningfully higher premium than the civilian one.
Does Texas require commercial plumbers to be licensed?
Yes. The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners licenses plumbers statewide. For Joint Base San Antonio-adjacent work, candidates also need to clear federal security requirements before starting.
What do plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earn in San Antonio?
BLS puts the San Antonio median for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters at $58,180 a year, 9% below the $63,800 national median. That ranks 86th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $37,240 at the 10th percentile against $78,530 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. Within Texas, Austin pays more, at $62,810.
Is it hard to hire plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in San Antonio?
It is about average. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are as common in San Antonio as they are nationally (location quotient 0.95), with about 3,190 in the metro. The 229 nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors here average about 17 employees per location.
Which commercial plumbing roles pay the most in San Antonio?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in San Antonio, a $98,450 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Plumber / Pipefitter at $58,180, 41% below it. Plumbing Helper / Apprentice is the lowest-paid field role at $39,380. Project Manager trails national pay the most (14% below).
How many nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors operate in San Antonio?
BLS counted 229 nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors in San Antonio in 2023, employing about 3,907 people between them. Up from 221 in 2018, a 4% increase against 2% growth nationally. That averages 17 people per location. They pay an average of $68,011, 21% below the $85,782 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with San Antonio for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Austin (74 miles, about 5,260, $62,810 median), Houston (190 miles, about 10,980, $61,300 median) and McAllen (223 miles, about 360, $46,110 median). Austin has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Austin pays 8% more, which is where San Antonio employers tend to lose people.
We have not closed a commercial plumbing search in San Antonio yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in San Antonio than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Estimator / Project ManagerShe grew her own asphalt repair business from $600K to $2.5 million before taking this seat.
- Estimator / Project ManagerAn 80% win rate on bids from $100,000 to $2 million, brought onto the same bid desk.
Hiring commercial plumbing in San Antonio?
Tell us the role - including whether it touches UT Health, Methodist, or BAMC/JBSA. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source - in under 30 minutes.