A plumbing sales manager leads a small team of reps selling bigger home jobs: repipes, new water heaters, sewer line work and water treatment. They hire and coach reps, route the leads service plumbers find, keep project pricing in line, and check that each sold job can be permitted and scheduled.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, plumbing and HVAC contractors · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for leading the sales team within the plumbing division to achieve revenue targets and drive business growth. Develops and executes sales strategies, sets measurable goals, and ensures the highest level of customer satisfaction across all engagements. Plays a key role in aligning strategy with company objectives to bolster market presence and operational excellence.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Set and monitor sales goals to achieve quarterly and annual revenue targets.
Manage, train, and motivate a team of sales representatives to drive performance and customer acquisition.
Collaborate with other departments to ensure alignment on marketing strategies and customer service excellence.
Conduct daily team briefings and performance reviews to ensure alignment with sales objectives.
Lead regular client meetings and presentations to secure new business and nurture existing relationships.
Review sales reports and update the sales pipeline with prospects, leads, and closed deals.
Collaborate with marketing to generate quality leads and support targeted campaigns.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Quarterly revenue growth: Target increase of 10% per quarter.
Sales conversion rate: Achieve a minimum conversion rate of 25% on qualified leads.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain an average score of >4.8 stars on post-service surveys.
New accounts acquired: Secure a target of 15 new accounts monthly.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years’ proven experience in sales, preferably in the home services or plumbing industry.
Exceptional leadership, communication, and negotiation skills.
Proficiency with CRM software and sales analytics tools.
6. Preferred Experience
Background in plumbing or related technical services with a strong understanding of industry-specific challenges.
Demonstrated success in managing and growing a sales team within a competitive market.
Experience in developing strategic partnerships and nurturing long-term client relationships.
Familiarity with home services industry trends and regulatory requirements.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to work in an office environment with extended periods sitting or standing at a desk.
Occasional visits to plumbing sites or client locations may require moderate physical activity.
Ability to lift up to 15 pounds if handling sales materials or presentations.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Flexibility for extended hours during peak sales periods or special events.
Minimal travel required for client meetings and industry events.
Occasional on-call duties during high-demand periods to support the sales team.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive salary range: $75,000 - $95,000 per year, based on experience and performance.
Performance-based bonuses and commissions tied to sales targets.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company matching contributions.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our company fosters a dynamic work environment that encourages innovation, teamwork, and professional growth.
We are committed to excellence and continuously seek to empower our employees to achieve their full potential.
With a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction, our team thrives in a supportive, inclusive, and growth-oriented setting.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A plumbing sales manager sells through two groups: the reps who run estimates, and the service plumbers who spot many of the big jobs on routine calls.
Your plumbers find the leads
A plumber clearing a drain sees roots on camera. Another fixing a leak finds corroded galvanized pipe or an aging water heater. The manager sets the handoff: what the plumber photographs, what they tell the homeowner, and how fast a rep calls. A clear handoff also keeps plumbers from quoting a repipe on the spot that a rep later has to reprice.
Plumbers who sell may need to register
In California, anyone who solicits, sells, negotiates or signs home improvement contracts on behalf of a licensed contractor must register with the Contractors State License Board. There are a few exceptions. One covers a contractor's service repairperson, but only for the service or emergency repair the customer first asked for. So a plumber who fixes a leak and then sells a repipe may need to register. Ask your own state board how it treats plumbers who sell. Source: California CSLB: Before you apply for home improvement salesperson registration.
Two kinds of prices
Service work runs on flat prices in the price book: one price per task, shown before work starts. Repipes, sewer replacements and trenchless jobs need a bid built from the house, covering pipe runs, access, depth, permit fees and wall or yard repair. The manager owns both, sets discount limits for each rep, and reviews big bids before they go out.
Digging jobs start with a locate
Sewer replacements and new water lines mean digging. NCSL reports that every state has its own dig law, often called the one-call or 811 law. Each one sets a notice period before digging, and enforcement varies by state. Build the locate wait, the permit and the inspection into the start dates reps promise, so a sold sewer job doesn't sit while the homeowner waits. Source: NCSL: How states protect pipelines from excavation damage.
Home sales put a deadline on the bid
The template counts new accounts, and in residential plumbing many come through home sales. A sewer camera inspection before closing can turn into a repair bid. The buyer, the seller and both agents want it fast, before the buyer's inspection period runs out. The manager decides who answers those requests, how fast the bid goes out, and who gets a copy, so the agent sends the next one too.
How much plumbing sales managers make
Sales managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $137,120 a year ($65.92 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $148,270 median for sales managers in all industries. About 1,260 of the 637,080 sales managers in that survey work for plumbing and HVAC contractors.
A salary with a team bonus. Basing the bonus on gross margin, not just sales, makes discounts cost the manager too. In smaller shops the manager may also sell some jobs on commission.
Plumbing and HVAC contractors
$137,120$137,120 median Middle half $104,040–$181,000 10th–90th $83,210–$230,300
All industries
$148,270$148,270 median Middle half $100,360–$207,340 10th–90th $73,170–$290,540
$0k$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k$350k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Plumbing and HVAC contractors
$83,210
$104,040
$137,120
$181,000
$230,300
All industries
$73,170
$100,360
$148,270
$207,340
$290,540
BLS reports plumbing and HVAC contractors together. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has sold big home jobs and can coach a rep through one
Reads a bid and spots missing permits, access or repair costs
Coaches plumbers to share what they find without sales pressure
Keeps reps inside discount limits when sales are slow
Plans the week with dispatch, install and the office
Teach these on the job
How your shop prices repipes and sewer jobs
Pulling close rates and backlog from your job software
Local permit, inspection and locate steps
Your lenders and what each needs to approve a loan
How plumbers and reps get credit for a sale
Most of the manager's day is in the sales side of the shop's software, whether that's ServiceTitan, FieldEdge or another CRM: leads, estimates, close rates, and the photos and camera clips plumbers upload. Larger project bids may be built in a spreadsheet or an estimating program.
Plumbing sales manager interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Look at these every week in the sales meeting. Set goals against the same quarter in past years, because weather moves plumbing sales.
Quarterly revenue growth
Compare this quarter's sold work, after cancellations, with the same quarter a year ago. A cold snap in January or a rainy spring can swing plumbing sales, so quarter-to-quarter changes mislead.
Sales conversion rate
Sold jobs over qualified estimates, by rep and by lead source. Settle first what makes an estimate qualified, and track plumber-flagged leads in their own column, since they may close at a different rate than ad leads.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Ask for a rating after the crew finishes each job the team sold. Look for gaps between the rep's promise and the finished work, such as cleanup, wall patching or a start date that slipped.
New accounts acquired
Decide what counts: a new customer, a new referral partner such as an agent or property manager, or both. Count each one once, in the month their first job is sold.
How is a plumbing sales manager different from an operations manager?
Selling versus doing. The sales manager answers for reps, leads, bids and the close rate. The operations manager answers for plumbers, trucks, dispatch, parts and job quality. They overlap on install dates and on leads from service calls, so they should plan each week together.
How much does a plumbing sales manager make?
Sales managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $137,120 a year ($65.92 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $104,040 and $181,000 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Does a plumbing sales manager need to be a licensed plumber?
Plumbing licenses cover doing the work. Most states and some local governments license plumbers, according to BLS. A manager who only sells may face a different rule, such as a salesperson registration, so ask your state's licensing board. Managers who came up as plumbers can check a bid's scope on their own; others should have a licensed plumber sign off on big bids.
Should plumbers get credit for leads they pass to sales?
Many shops pay a plumber a small bonus when their lead turns into a sold job. Pay it after the job is installed and past any cancellation window, so a canceled sale earns nothing. Reward plumbers for flagging the problem with photos, not for pre-selling a price. The homeowner should hear the same facts from the plumber and the rep.
Which numbers should a plumbing sales manager watch weekly?
Open estimates by age and rep, close rate by lead source, average sold job by type, cancellations, and the install backlog. A growing backlog means reps are promising start dates the crews can't meet. A pile of old open estimates means follow-up is slipping, and the rehash specialist needs help or clearer rules.
What does a plumbing sales manager do when the phones are slow?
Mild, dry weeks bring fewer emergencies that turn into big jobs. So the manager works the leads the company already has. Think old unsold estimates, water heaters plumbers flagged as aging, and sewer lines with roots on past camera videos. It's also the time for ride-alongs, practicing the repipe presentation, and visits to agents and property managers. Train new reps now, not in a freeze week.
