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Mechanical services plumbing sits at the overlap of two trades, and it is priced and licensed differently in each state.
SEEK's general plumber data, refreshed 1 September 2026:
Mechanical services sits above these. There is no separate published benchmark for it, which is worth saying plainly rather than inventing a number - it is a specialisation inside plumbing, not a distinct SEEK role.
What we can say with confidence is the direction. Mechanical services work requires additional competence and, in Victoria, an additional licensed class. Specialised classes reliably attract a premium over the general trade, and employers should budget above the general plumbing band rather than at it.
This is where the two states genuinely diverge, and it catches out employers operating across both.
In Victoria, mechanical services is its own plumbing class. The Building and Plumbing Commission - which has taken over from the Victorian Building Authority - lists Mechanical service among the seven main plumbing classes, alongside drainage, gasfitting, roofing stormwater, sanitary, irrigation and water supply. There are also restricted mechanical services variants covering split systems and duct fixing, and a separate Refrigerated air-conditioning main class.
So HVAC-adjacent plumbing work in Victoria requires the right plumbing class, on top of whatever refrigerant handling licence the equipment needs.
In Queensland, plumbing is licensed through the QBCC as occupational licences (the individual) and contractor licences (the business), with endorsements layered on. The structure is different, and gasfitting sits in its own category.
The trap for a multi-state employer: assuming a mechanical services plumber who is licensed in one state is straightforwardly licensed in the other. The class structures do not map one-to-one.
If you are hiring in Victoria, this one is fundamental and Queensland has no direct equivalent.
A registered plumber can lawfully carry out plumbing work in their class. They cannot supervise apprentices or other plumbers, and they cannot issue compliance certificates. Registration lasts up to three years.
A licensed plumber can carry out work, design, supervise registered plumbers and apprentices, and issue compliance certificates. Licences run 12 months and require insurance.
Where compliance certificates are needed, work done by a registered plumber must be certified by a supervising licensed plumber within five days.
Picture a Melbourne mechanical services company staffed entirely with registered plumbers and no licensed plumber on the team. Every person is working lawfully. Nobody can certify the work. That is not a hiring gap anyone notices until a certificate is due.
And note: in Victoria the BPC registers and licences individuals only. It does not licence plumbing companies. Queensland does licence the business. If you have built your compliance thinking around one state, it does not transfer.
Budget above the general plumbing band for mechanical services in both cities. In Victoria, check the specific class and make sure you have at least one licensed plumber who can certify. In Queensland, check both the occupational licence and your own contractor licence.
HJ Recruitment places permanent plumbing, HVAC and refrigeration, electrical, fire and solar tradespeople with Australian employers.
Sources- SEEK - Plumber salary, Brisbane- SEEK - Plumber salary, Melbourne- Building and Plumbing Commission - Plumber classes and categories- Building and Plumbing Commission - Which registration or licence do I need- QBCC - Plumbing and drainage licences
