We’ll guide you step-by-step on your journey to a successful career in plumbing.


Why Become a Plumber?
ON THE JOB TRAINING
While many career paths require years of schooling and expensive tuition, in the field of plumbing you will be trained while on the job – and while earning a wage! Plumbers begin to earn at the apprentice level without significant tuition payments or are burdened with student loan debt like degree programs at a four-year college or university. Apprenticeships are a combination of hands-on and classroom learning.
While is varies by location, plumbing apprenticeships are approximately four years long with 8,000 hours of learning.
INCOME
As a plumber, you have great earning potential. The average plumber makes about $56,330/year according to the 2020 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. With that said, Time Magazine points out that in cities across the U.S., such as New York, LA, Chicago and Boston, plumbers are in high demand and can make up to $250,000/year!
JOBS ARE AVAILABLE NOW
Becoming a plumber grants you the opportunity to find a job today. The demand for skilled tradespeople continues to grow.
“Right now, American manufacturing is struggling to fill 200,000 vacant positions. There are 450,000 openings in trades, transportation and utilities. The Skills Gap is real, and it’s getting wider. In Alabama, a third of all skilled tradesmen are over 55. They’re retiring fast, and no one is there to replace them.”
– Mike Rowe
STEM AND THE SKILLED TRADES
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are the essential building blocks of careers that cross industries and impact our daily lives in different ways. STEM is the foundation of technical careers that propel our future workforce forward to stability, career growth and success. STEM is the skilled trade of plumbing.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FREINDLY
New technologies in water conservation and money-saving are more popular now than ever. Choosing a career in plumbing means you’ll be at the forefront of advances in environmental science to save water and conserve energy. You can be proud of the fact that you’re not only improving the lives of homeowners through the plumbing trade, but you’ll also be helping save the planet.
While many career paths require years of schooling and lots of money, in the field of plumbing you will be trained while on the job – and while making money. Not only do plumbers begin to earn while they are at the apprentice level, they also forgo significant tuition payments and debt from student loans as all of their instruction is hands on and done while on the job.
As NYC Mayor Bloomberg pointed out on his radio show:
“Compare a plumber to going to Harvard College — being a plumber, actually for the average person, probably would be a better deal. You don’t spend … four years spending $40,000, $50,000 in tuition without earning income.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, plumbing is one of the fastest-growing jobs in this country.
The plumbing field is expected to grow 12% from 2014-2024, and this growth is expected across the country. That means that the reported 425,000 jobs back in 2014 will multiply into more than 474,100 jobs by 2024. Plumbing also offers a secure job, as plumbing services will always be in demand, plumbers are not at risk of losing their jobs to machines, and plumbing jobs cannot be outsourced for cheaper labor overseas.
Becoming a plumber grants you the opportunity to find a job today. The demand for skilled tradespeople continues to grow.
“Right now, American manufacturing is struggling to fill 200,000 vacant positions. There are 450,000 openings in trades, transportation and utilities. The Skills Gap is real, and it’s getting wider. In Alabama, a third of all skilled tradesmen are over 55. They’re retiring fast, and no one is there to replace them.”
– Mike Rowe
Becoming a plumber offers you amazing earnings potential. It also offers you the potential to carve your own career path, with great opportunities for advancement for hard working individuals. From the starting position of a field technician you can climb the plumbing career ladder to gain more responsibility, begin to manage jobs and individuals, and ultimately make more money. Plumbers can advance from service technicians to installers, operation managers and distribution managers based on their hard work and commitment to their field.

Plumbing Jobs
A career in plumbing offers great pay, benefits, job security and professional satisfaction. Explore The Trades is your complete resource for everything you need to get started and advance your career. Connect with the right people, the right information and get the right answers to get your career in gear!


What is an Apprenticeship?

Get an Inside Look at the Trades!
There is an increasing need for qualified HVAC, plumbing and electrical technicians. The trades offer rewarding careers to individuals who are passionate about serving their communities, pride themselves on keeping the country running and the willingness to work hard. Combined with job security, great pay and career growth opportunities, the trades are the best industry in the world. We’ve partnered with NexTech Academy to provide you with a first-hand look at the trades of plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling. NexTech Academy provides online, comprehensive training programs for employees of residential service companies throughout North America. For an inside look at the trades, check out the demo lessons with the log-in credentials below.
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