Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers Revenue Benchmarks
The average plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers business in the United States generates $21.4M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 2,590 plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers businesses in the U.S., employing 86,783 workers with an average profit margin of 4.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $90K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Business Actually Do?
Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers: Businesses that buy goods in bulk from manufacturers and resell them to retailers or other businesses.
Who buys: Retailers, manufacturers, institutional buyers.
Sector-level description — a more specific write-up is available for high-traffic industries.
Average Revenue
$21.4M
per year
Profit Margin
4.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$638K
per year
Total Businesses
2,590
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$855K
small business avg
Labor Cost
12.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$90K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
0.8
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers Charge?
Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers: Wholesalers earn a spread of 5–20% between what they pay manufacturers and what they charge retailers. The specifics vary within the plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers category — the ranges below are typical for the sector.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Commodity wholesale (food, chemicals) | 3–8% gross margin |
Specialty wholesale (electronics, medical) | 12–25% gross margin |
Distribution fee (3PL) | 3–7% of goods handled |
Sector-typical ranges — individual services within this industry may fall higher or lower.
Complete plumbing and heating equipment and supplies business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost of goods sold | $66 | $14.0M | Cost of inventory bought from manufacturers for resale to retailers or businesses. |
Wages & benefits | $12 | $2.6M | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $8 | $1.8M | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $3 | $718K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $7 | $1.4M | Warehouse operating costs, freight, insurance, POS/ERP systems. |
Net profit | $4 | $855K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
5.61%
openings/year
Closure Rate
4.64%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+4.3%
annual
Businesses Closed
532
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
2 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers business do?
- Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers: Businesses that buy goods in bulk from manufacturers and resell them to retailers or other businesses. Retailers, manufacturers, institutional buyers.
- How much do plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers charge?
- Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers: Wholesalers earn a spread of 5–20% between what they pay manufacturers and what they charge retailers. The specifics vary within the plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers category — the ranges below are typical for the sector. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers make per year?
- The average plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers business generates $21.4M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $855K per year at a 4.0% profit margin.
- How many plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers businesses are there in the US?
- There are 2,590 plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 86,783 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers business?
- Startup costs for a plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers industry?
- The average employee in the plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers industry earns $90K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 4.3% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (5.6% entry vs 4.6% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 79% of plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 532 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers industry earns $89,765/year. This is significantly above the national average of ~$65K, reflecting the skilled nature of this work. With 10,438 establishments employing 119,883 people, the typical business has about 11 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The plumbing and heating equipment and supplies (hydronics) merchant wholesalers industry has declined 21% since 2000 (from 10,893 to 8,601 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers revenue with other industries: