Average Hourly Wage of Plumbers, By State

In doing the research for this analysis, I learned something interesting about the plumbing profession.  The term "plumber" comes from the Latin word "plumbum," which means lead. Seems fitting in a profession, fairly or unfairly, stereotyped for exposed butt cracks.

In Roman times, plumbers often worked with lead for conduits, drain pipes, and making baths.  Plumbers now work with a variety of different materials, including copper, PVC, ductile iron, among others.

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Average Hourly Wage of Brick and Block Masons, By State

Masonry workers, specifically brick and block masons, have been around for centuries and are one of the construction industries oldest professions.  Before blocks were prefabricated and purchased, masons had to cut the material by hand before placing.  Recently, robotic brick and block placing robots have threatened to take some jobs away from human masons, but that technology is still a long way away from making a huge impact on the profession

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