Only a decade ago, the idea of women plumbers was considered ludicrous. However, in 2024, it is not only a stark reality but also an inspirational tale for aspiring professionals, regardless of their gender.
The world is undergoing a significant transformation as barriers based on gender are shattered across all professional fields, including field service. Traditionally male-dominated industries like plumbing, electrical work, and HVACR are experiencing a surge of female representation. Women are stepping into roles as skilled technicians, project managers, and entrepreneurs, challenging stereotypes and proving their capabilities in traditionally male-dominated trades.
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According to a recent study, women plumbers constituted 1.74% of the total plumbing workforce in the United States in 2021. The following year, it grew to 5.3%, marking an annual growth rate of 13.3% between 2018 and 2022.
This shift is not only promoting gender equality but also bringing diverse perspectives and talents to the field service sector, ultimately leading to more innovative solutions and improved customer experiences. As women continue to break barriers and excel in various professional fields, the landscape of the workforce is evolving toward greater inclusivity and equality.
In this blog, we are going to showcase 5 female plumbers who made a mark in the plumbing industry. These trailblazing women have left a legacy by breaking down barriers, challenging stereotypes, and contributing to the industry’s consistent growth and innovation.
Challenges Faced by Women Plumbers
Before we embark on the wonderful journey of finding out more about incredible women plumbers, let us try to understand why this is something that demands such emphasis.
Historically, women have faced stark discrimination trying to enter the professional ecosystem worldwide. Even if they managed to secure a job, they were largely given opportunities in the field commonly assumed to be “feminine,” and a demanding field like plumbing is certainly not one of them. If you search “female plumbers near me,” you will not find many results on your computer screen.
Although times have changed, field service still does not feature a large female representation. If you wonder, “How many female plumbers are there?” the answer is rather less. This is largely because of the additional challenges they face, along with the stereotypical gender discrimination.
While some of these challenges might seem very trivial, they become a great obstacle when one faces them on a daily basis. And some challenges that these female plumbing professionals face might blow your mind. Let’s find out.
- Historical Gender Barriers
Plumbing, like many skilled trades, has traditionally been viewed as a male-dominated profession. Historical gender norms and societal expectations have discouraged women from pursuing careers in fields perceived as more “masculine.”
- Lack of Role Models
The scarcity of lady plumbers means fewer visible role models for aspiring women in the industry. Without seeing other women succeed in plumbing careers, some may be less inclined to pursue this path themselves.
- Perceived Physical Demands
Plumbing is often perceived as physically demanding work, involving heavy lifting and manual labor. Stereotypes about women’s physical abilities may deter some employers from considering women plumbers as a suitable resource.
- Work Environment Challenges
The male-dominated culture within some plumbing workplaces may create a less welcoming environment for women. Discrimination, harassment, and a lack of support can discourage women from entering or staying in the profession. But more importantly, they often struggle to cope in a work environment primarily designed for men.
- Safety Concerns
Most facilities and equipment in the plumbing profession are designed for male technicians. This becomes a grave safety issue for women plumbers, putting them at greater risk of accidents and injuries on the job.
- Access to Training and Opportunities
Women may face barriers to accessing training programs and apprenticeships in plumbing due to systemic biases or limited opportunities. Without adequate training and support, women may struggle to enter or advance in the field.
- Family and Caregiving Responsibilities
Balancing family and caregiving responsibilities with the demands of a plumbing career can be challenging for women, particularly if workplace policies and support systems are lacking.
- Lack of Support
Women plumbers may face a lack of support from colleagues, supervisors, or employers, hindering their professional development and contributing to feelings of marginalization.
- Perception of Inferiority
Despite their qualifications and expertise, women plumbers may still be perceived as inferior to their male counterparts, leading to doubts about their competency and value in the workplace.
- Isolation and Loneliness
Being one of the few women in a predominantly male environment can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness for women plumbers, impacting their sense of belonging and job satisfaction.
3 Trailblazing Women Plumbers
Despite facing the challenges, there was no shortage of female plumbers or female-owned plumbing companies all across the globe. More importantly, the trend did not start only months ago. The plumbing industry has witnessed skilled, passionate, and successful female professionals and entrepreneurs since the wake of the 19th century, and it continues to this day.
Here are some of the most remarkable women in the plumbing industry who paved the way for future generations and inspired countless aspiring entrepreneurs to start their own careers in this sector.
Lillian Ann Baumbach
Lillian Ann Baumbach, also known as “the pretty plumber,” made history as the first female master plumber in the United States, paving the way for women in a traditionally male-dominated field. Born in the early 20th century, Baumbach defied societal norms and expectations by pursuing a career in plumbing at a time when such professions were largely inaccessible to women.
Born as the daughter of a plumber, she showed interest in his father’s trade from an early age. At 12, she started accompanying and even assisting him in various plumbing projects. After graduating from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, Lillian worked her way from an apprentice to a journeyman at her father’s plumbing company. At 21, she appeared for the Master Plumber’s examination and successfully obtained her license.
Despite facing skepticism and discrimination, she displayed remarkable determination and skill, eventually earning recognition for her expertise and contributions to the plumbing industry. However, that’s not the end of her story. As the first-ever master plumber in the US, she gained unimaginable popularity. Men and women all over the country wrote her letters to express their admiration and encouragement. This made Lillian a celebrity, earning her front-page coverage in newspapers and even television appearances.
After a long and successful career as a master plumber, Lillian became the service manager and treasurer of her father’s company, where she served until her retirement. She passed away on January 31st, 2000, leaving behind an inspirational legacy to be followed by future female plumbing professionals.
Adrienne Bennett
If you ask, “How many women are plumbers?” The answer will be “not too many.” But if you wonder how many black women work as plumbers, the numbers are even lower. Primarily a male-dominated field, the plumbing industry does not see many women working as technicians. Those who did manage to break the barrier were largely white females. Women do face countless challenges in this field, and women of color face them even more.
This is exactly why Adrienne Bennett is considered one of the greatest trailblazers in this industry. She became America’s first female African-American master plumber at the age of 30. Three more decades later, she is now the CEO of her own plumbing and water conservation company, Detroit-based Benkari LLC.
After she graduated high school, Bennett signed up for a federally-sponsored scholarship program that offered a yearly stipend to minority women willing to learn a trade. Starting at the age of 22, Bennett spent five years as an apprentice and a journeyman, clocking in the prescribed 4,000 hours to become a master plumber. During her training, she faced countless hurdles involving racist remarks, gender discrimination, and even sexual harassment. In her own words, Adrienne had to wear a heavy tool belt across her waist all the time, only to avoid groping. At the time, she was the only woman training in a group of 100 men. She stuck through the ordeal, only to emerge as the top performer among all her peers. Eventually, she earned her master plumber’s license in 1987.
After her remarkable accomplishment, Bennett went on to hold the highest positions a plumber can hold in Detroit, Illinois. Further, she worked as a project manager, a plumbing inspector, and a code enforcement officer before she launched Benkari, which she now runs with her son, A.K. Bennett. She also sits on the advisory board at Lawrence Tech, helping shape the next generation of skilled tradesmen and women.
At 61, Adrienne Bennett still continues to forge her own path as a pioneering role model for young aspirants to strive for and succeed in an otherwise male-dominated industry.
Clare King
Following the footsteps of the pioneers, contemporary women plumbers are still making a difference in the plumbing industry. Take Clare King, for example.
Since starting her career back in 2006, King has not only established herself as a successful plumbing professional but has also initiated more women in this trade. Now the proud owner of Pink Lady Plumbing, she provided hands-on training to these aspirants. Some worked with King at her company, while others went on to start their own ventures as independent plumbing contractors.
Like the women before her, King too faced stark discrimination and denied opportunities.
However, nothing could stop her fierce determination. She earned her license and went on to launch her own plumbing business—Pink Lady Plumbing. Further, she trained more women in this trade. Thanks to her, Northampton now has not one, but five female plumbers and business owners.
Judaline Cassidy
Following the glorious path paved by pioneers like Adrienne Bennett, more women of color have joined the trade of plumbing in recent years. But some of them have gone beyond fixing leaks, and are actually making a difference in this male-dominated industry.
Judaline Cassidy stands out in this regard. Born in the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Cassidy says her career as a plumber was a pure accident. She wanted to become a lawyer. But after she lost her grandmother, she had to move to the United States in 1989. Given her limited economic resources, she could not attend university and instead had to join a trade. She chose plumbing almost on a whim. But what followed was a result of hard work, dedication, and unadulterated passion.
Her journey indeed started with severe discrimination. Cassidy recollects when she arrived at her job for the very first day, people laughed in her face. They had no idea that the plumber assigned was a woman, and they denied her entry to the job site. So she made a deal with the foreman—if he gave her the opportunity to work and she could prove her worth, he might keep her. If she couldn’t, he did not have to pay her.
Cassidy did not just prove her worth to the foreman, she also proved herself to the whole plumbing community. She worked her way through the ropes, serving as an apprentice, a journeyman, and eventually earning her master plumber license. Then, she started her own company, Tools and Tiaras—one of the most highly regarded female-led plumbing companies in the US.
That, however, was just the beginning of her success. Today, Cassidy is known worldwide for her role as a pioneering tradeswomen activist and is a renowned public speaker, grappling with issues like intersectional feminism, gender-based pay gaps, and discrimination.
Hannah Dodkin
At this point, one might wonder that being a female plumber is all about hardships and discrimination. While that is true to a great extent, there is another side to the story. Although female plumbing technicians or entrepreneurs are not considered among the richest plumbers in the world, there are indeed celebrity female plumbers making headlines. Take Hannah Dodkin. for example.
You might know Hannah as the wife of actor Kris Marshal of Beyond Paradise fame. But that is not the only ticket to her celebrity status. At 30, she was working for a small property farm in London when she decided to expand her horizons and enter the first reality television series in the Arab world, Hydra Executives. A UAE version of the British TV show ‘The Apprentice’, it was a program that pitted eight American contestants against eight British contestants to be judged by their business skills. At the end, Dodkin emerged as the joint winner.
The achievement put her in the limelight, revealing her career as a successful plumbing professional to the world. She quickly became a household name in the plumbing industry. From appearing on television shows to hosting workshops and speaking engagements, she used her platform to challenge stereotypes and inspire others, particularly young women, to pursue careers in the trades. Dodkin’s career not only broke barriers but also highlighted the importance of skilled trades in modern society. Her impact extends far beyond the pipes she fixes, as she continues to empower and uplift individuals through her work and advocacy efforts.
Wrapping Up
The stories of these five remarkable women plumbers serve as powerful reminders of the transformative impact that gender diversity brings to the plumbing industry. Through their passion, perseverance, and dedication, they have shattered stereotypes, overcome obstacles, and left an indelible mark on their profession. From pioneering new endeavors to advocating for inclusivity and equality, these women have reshaped the plumbing industry for the better. Their successes not only inspire future generations of female plumbers but also underscore the importance of embracing diversity and harnessing the full potential of all individuals in the workforce.
To encourage more women to start their careers as plumbing technicians or business owners, Field Promax pledges its unwavering support, driven by a commitment to breaking stereotypical gender barriers and fostering a culture of diversity. As an organization that thrives on a workforce largely constituted of girl power, Field Promax recognizes the importance of providing equal opportunities and support for women in traditionally male-dominated fields. Through its powerful features and comprehensive solutions, Field Promax pledges to support female-led plumbing companies by providing them with the tools and resources they need to thrive. From streamlined scheduling and efficient job management to real-time communication and reporting, Field Promax empowers women plumbers to run successful businesses, challenge stereotypes, and pave the way for a more inclusive and diverse industry.
