Plumber and gasfitter recruitment for regional employers

Plumbers set out and install hot and cold water systems, design and install sanitary plumbing and water supply, install water-based fire protection, and assemble mechanical services plant, air handling and small bore heating systems.⁵ Gasfitters install, commission and service the gas systems in buildings.⁶

The national trade qualification is CPC32420 Certificate III in Plumbing.⁷ Licensing then follows the stream of work: water, sanitary and drainage, gas, roofing or mechanical services, with each state drawing its own lines.

Where the Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award 2020 covers the role, a registered plumber (plumbing and mechanical services tradesperson level 1) on weekly hire must be paid at least $1,246.54 a week, or $32.80 an hour, from 1 July 2026. A tradesperson who is not registered must be paid at least $1,201.78 a week, or $31.63 an hour. Both rates include the industry, special and trade allowances.¹⁹

The award covers plumbing contractors and also plumbers employed in other businesses, and it counts gasfitting, roof plumbing and air conditioning plumbing as plumbing.²⁰ In the market, plumbers had median full-time earnings of $1,990 a week, or $47 an hour, in May 2025, nationally.⁴ We talk with you about the rate, allowances and on-call pay that will compete for your location.

Name the streams of work first: water, sanitary, drainage, gas, roofing or mechanical services, and whether the person installs on new builds, maintains existing systems or both. Then the licences the work needs in your state, including a gas licence if the role touches appliances.

Add the practical details: domestic, commercial or civil work, a service van and tools, the after-hours roster and how call-outs are paid.

Tell us the service area, the after-hours roster and how call-outs are paid. We describe the patch, the van, the call-out pay and the hours honestly at the first conversation.

We start with plumbers who already live near you, then widen the search to people ready to move. A plumber licensed in another state may need your state's licence or registration before starting, so we raise it early.

If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.

Register with Hire Australia and tell us your licences and where they were issued, the plumbing streams you work in and the town you would like to live in. We will talk with you about regional roles that fit.