Explore
Service & new construction
Plumber
Water in, water out, and the emergencies in between.
Typical pay
$45k-$100k
How you get in
Apprenticeship + journeyman license
Outlook
Very strong
Plumbers install and repair water, gas and drainage systems. Service plumbers get variety and customer contact; new construction is more repetitive but steadier.
A day in the life
- 7:00aDispatch assigns the first service call
- 8:00aDiagnose a leaking supply line, quote the fix
- 10:30aSnake a main drain line
- 1:00pWater heater swap
- 4:00pEmergency call: burst pipe
- 6:00pInvoice, restock the truck
How to get in
Union apprenticeship (UA local)
Duration
5 years
Cost
$0 — paid while you train
Credential
Journeyman plumber license
- Apply to your local United Association hall
- Pass the aptitude test and interview
- Log about 10,000 hours plus classroom work
- Sit for the state journeyman exam
Non-union apprenticeship
Duration
4-5 years
Cost
$0-$2,000 for books and fees
Credential
Journeyman plumber license
- Get hired as an apprentice with a licensed contractor
- Register the apprenticeship with your state board
- Log the required supervised hours
- Sit for the state journeyman exam
Trade school first
Duration
6-12 months, then an apprenticeship
Cost
$6,000-$15,000
Credential
Certificate, then journeyman license
- Complete a plumbing program at a technical college
- Use it to get hired at a higher starting rate
- Still log the state-required hours under a licensed plumber
- Sit for the journeyman exam
What people love
- · Recession-resistant
- · Can own your own shop
- · High call-out rates for emergencies
What wears people down
- · On-call nights and weekends
- · Genuinely gross situations
- · Tight, awkward spaces