Commercial plumbing recruiters serving Scranton-Wilkes-Barre.
Conventional commercial plumbing in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre carries a modest premium above national. Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center's $900M tower expansion needs healthcare-grade plumbing - real demand on top of that.
A modest premium, plus a $900M hospital tower.
Commercial plumbers in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre earn about 4% above the national average - a real, if modest, regional premium.
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center's $900M expansion - an 11-story, 600,000 sq ft patient tower opening Q1 2028 - needs healthcare-grade plumbing. The metro overview names this real demand, commanding roughly 15% more than the conventional rate.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial plumbing contractors in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, and we verify the correct local (municipal) licensing plus the medical gas certification hospital-adjacent roles require.
The story behind the specialty.
One named hospital tower, adding a healthcare-plumbing layer on top of the region's usual premium.
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An 11-story, 600,000 sq ft patient tower that finished structural steel in July 2026, opening Q1 2028, increasing capacity from 356 to 500 beds and operating rooms from 12 to 18. The metro overview names this project as a real driver of healthcare-plumbing demand.
What you'll actually pay - by plumbing role.
Hourly wage ranges based on BLS OEWS data for the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre 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 | Metro wage range | Typical experience | Market notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial plumber (journeyman) | $27 – $34/hr | 3-7 yrs | Matches the commercial plumber figure already published on the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre metro overview (+4% over national) |
| Apprentice plumber | $18 – $23/hr | 0-3 yrs | Tracks the metro's modest general premium over the national apprentice range |
| Healthcare-grade plumber (Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center) | $31 – $39/hr | 5+ yrs | A +15% derived premium over the conventional-plumber row - the metro overview names this "real...demand," and no sibling-trade wage row exists to borrow a more direct ratio from |
| Plumbing foreman | $31 – $40/hr | 7+ yrs | Healthcare or data-center project experience is a real differentiator for supervisory roles |
| Plumbing project manager | $37 – $48/hr | 5-10 yrs | Healthcare or data-center portfolio experience adds a real premium in this market |
| Plumbing superintendent | $41 – $54/hr | 10+ yrs | Matches the broader Scranton-Wilkes-Barre commercial superintendent range already published on the metro overview |
| Plumbing estimator (5+ yrs) | $43 – $56/hr | 5+ yrs | Matches the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre commercial estimator figure already published on the metro overview |
Source: BLS OEWS (Scranton-Wilkes-Barre MSA), plumbing occupational codes, projected to 2026. Actual offer rates depend on certifications (ASSE 6010/6020, local municipal 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 Scranton-Wilkes-Barre commercial plumbing hiring game actually plays out in 2026. The five things below are what we tell every Scranton-Wilkes-Barre plumbing client at intake.
Why healthcare-grade plumbing is a real niche here
Most Scranton-Wilkes-Barre commercial plumbing carries a modest regional premium. Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center's $900M patient tower expansion needs healthcare-grade plumbing - real demand the metro overview names explicitly.
Where Scranton-Wilkes-Barre commercial plumbing talent comes from
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial plumbing contractors in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre. Conventional plumbing draws on a deep regional pipeline; healthcare-grade plumbers are the harder fill, competing against the region's emerging data center corridor for skilled labor.
Credentials worth filtering for
Pennsylvania has no statewide plumbing license - licensing is set locally by each municipality, the same structure documented on our Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Harrisburg-Carlisle, and Lancaster metro pages. Medical gas installer certification (ASSE 6010/6020) is the credential that actually matters for Geisinger-adjacent roles.
What candidates expect from a Scranton-Wilkes-Barre plumbing offer in 2026
Conventional plumbing comp runs a real but modest premium above national. Healthcare-grade specialty candidates expect the additional premium Geisinger's $900M tower expansion commands.
Realistic timelines, by role
Field roles: 4-6 weeks intake to signed offer. Healthcare-grade plumbers: 6-8 weeks, because that specific specialty competes for a narrower pool than the region's general labor market. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The plumbing positions we fill, most often.
Across all Scranton-Wilkes-Barre 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 Scranton-Wilkes-Barre's own steady regional 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 Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, see the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre 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 Scranton, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre's commercial plumbing segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Scranton-Wilkes-Barre plumbing, we also confirm whether the role touches Geisinger's tower expansion and, if so, exactly what medical gas certification the specific scope requires.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Scranton-Wilkes-Barre 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, the correct local municipal 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 Scranton-Wilkes-Barre's own wage table.
Scranton runs 42% fewer commercial plumbing workers per job than the country as a whole — well below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep them.
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 Scranton's commercial plumbing market compares
In 2023 the Scranton metro had 55 nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors (counted by business location). BLS publishes that count but withholds headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers. The number of these employers fell 3.5%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 9.5 per 100,000 residents, close to the 8.8 national rate.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Scranton ranks 99th for headcount, 61st for median pay and 99th for concentration for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters. That makes it one of the thinnest commercial plumbing labor markets we recruit in.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 7,150 | $74,860 | 0.82 | 569 |
| Pittsburgh | 2,910 | $70,100 | 0.87 | 188 |
| Harrisburg | 950 | $73,560 | 0.95 | 43 |
| Lancaster | 820 | $61,950 | 1.08 | 38 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 730 | $64,940 | 0.65 | 60 |
| Scranton | 450 | $61,160 | 0.58 | 55 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial plumbing employers in Scranton, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Scranton metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Scranton's commercial plumbing market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors in Scranton rose from 54 in 2018 to 55 in 2023, up 2%, close to the 2% national change. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Scranton, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors: business locations | 54 | 55 | +2% |
| Nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors: employment | 779 | – | – |
| Nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors: average annual pay | $60,911 | – | – |
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 Scranton.
What is a commercial plumber paid in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre in 2026?
Commercial plumbers (journeyman) in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre typically earn $27–$34/hr, about 4% above the national average. Healthcare-grade plumbers serving Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center's tower expansion command $31–$39/hr.
Why does Geisinger's expansion drive a plumbing specialty in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre?
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center is completing a $900M, 11-story, 600,000 sq ft patient tower expansion, opening Q1 2028 and increasing capacity from 356 to 500 beds. The metro overview names this project a real driver of healthcare-plumbing demand.
Does Pennsylvania require a specific license for commercial plumbers in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre?
Pennsylvania has no statewide plumbing license. Licensing is set locally by each of Pennsylvania's 2,562 municipalities, the same structure documented on our Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Harrisburg-Carlisle, and Lancaster metro pages.
Are Scranton-Wilkes-Barre plumbing wages higher than the national average?
Yes, modestly. Conventional commercial plumbers run about 4% above the national average. The healthcare-grade specialty tied to Geisinger's expansion runs meaningfully higher, at roughly 15% above the conventional rate in this market.
What do plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earn in Scranton?
BLS puts the Scranton median for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters at $61,160 a year, 4% below the $63,800 national median. That ranks 66th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Experience carries a clear premium, $43,690 at the 10th percentile against $98,150 at the 90th - a 2.2x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. Within Pennsylvania, Philadelphia pays more, at $74,860.
Is it hard to hire plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Scranton?
Yes. Scranton has 42% fewer plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters per job than the country as a whole, roughly 450 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed.
Which commercial plumbing roles pay the most in Scranton?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Scranton, a $108,500 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Plumber / Pipefitter at $61,160, 44% below it. Project Manager trails national pay the most (6% below).
How many nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors operate in Scranton?
BLS counted 55 nonresidential plumbing and HVAC contractors in Scranton in 2023. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (54). BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers.
Which nearby metros compete with Scranton for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Allentown-Bethlehem (56 miles, about 730, $64,940 median), New York (99 miles, about 21,040, $78,610 median) and Lancaster (100 miles, about 820, $61,950 median). Allentown-Bethlehem has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Allentown-Bethlehem pays 6% more, which is where Scranton employers tend to lose people.
We have not closed a commercial plumbing search in Scranton 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 Scranton than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- HVAC TechnicianA senior technician across commercial and industrial HVAC and refrigeration.
Hiring commercial plumbing in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.