Are you interested in Plumbing profession? Use our guide on how to become a plumber in United States (USA) just after your high school education or GED course.
Plumbing is one the most rewarding career as recession has no impact on this sector and the pay scale is nice with an average earning of 54000 USD per year. But the students should only consider plumbing as their career option if they are interested in fixing and working with their hands as it requires a lot of physical work.
Basic Eligibility Requirements for Becoming A Plumber:
- For entering into plumbing field you should be atleast 18 years old
- USA Citizenship proof
- Passport Size Photographs
- High School Passing Certificate or GED passout
Above listed points are just the minimum requirements to join as an apprentice in Open Shops or Trade Unions. The process of starting career as a plumber is simple as no graduate certificate is required here. There are many ways to make career into Plumbing sector but it depends on how you want to enter. You can just contact any local open shop or Trade Unions to start your career as a plumber. Becoming a plumber is not a single step process you have to go through many steps if you want to become master in this sector.
If you have completed your High School or GED course from any city in United States, first you have to join as apprentice in any reputable Plumbing company / trade Unions in your locality or join some Plumbing school to learn the concepts of plumbing.
You can join the Plumbing schools part time as few hours of classes are there in a week and you can learn while working as their time schedule is flexible. During the apprentice in a Plumbing company you get a chance to learn the things practically as from day 1 you have to go with your senior plumber on live sites.
This is the best opportunity to learn the concepts of plumbing while earning as you work on real sites and can see how things are exactly done on field. During this apprenticeship you have to help your senior plumber to fix things and try to learn the plumbing concepts. The plumbing companies during the apprenticeship usually pays 17-20 dollars per hour but you must with quick learner as in future you have to work on these things alone.
After completing the apprentice at any reputable Plumbing company for few years you can opt for Journeyman Plumber license. To become a Journeyman plumber you have to pass the examination and there are specific amount of hours required as an apprentice to qualify for this exam. After getting the Journeyman Plumber license from your city authority you can join any Residential plumbing company or commercial project based companies. This totally depends on your nature as if you are comfortable in fixing thing you must work as a residential plumber and if you are into making thing go for commercial plumbing.
Difference Between Residential Plumbing and Commercial Plumbing: In residential plumbing you have to work in local apartment or stores for fixing things and you can be moving from one house to another after completion of job. But in the case of commercial plumbing the construction work can go on for 6 months to 2 years so you have to work on a single site for that time duration. So choose the kind of plumbing work which you prefer working on according to you.
Master Plumber License: You can work as Journey plumber for many years but if you want to boost your plumbing career or if in future you have plans to open your own plumbing company, you must go and get the master plumber license. This master plumber license is the key to become more reputable plumber in your location as this plumbing certification gives you an extra credibility in plumbing sector.
Job Responsibilities of a Plumber:
| Blueprint Creation | Fixing Pipe Leakage |
| Cutting Pipes | Measuring and Fixing Pipes |
| Cleaning Drains | Estimating Costs |
| Installing Pipes | Troubleshooting |
| Welding Tubes | Diagnosis of Plumbing Issues |
| Detecting Faults | Fixing Things According to Safety Standards |
| Calculating Plumbing Measurements | Toilet Repairs |
| Installation of Garbage Disposal System | Trenchless Pipe Repairs |
| Installation of Gas Line | Water Jetting |
| Sump Pump Installation | Installation of Water Heater |
| Cleaning of Septic Tank | Faucet Replacement |
Skill Set Required to Become A Plumber:
- Plumbing job requires a lot of hard work, so you should be hard working if you are choosing this career path.
- In plumbing field your quick learning abilities define your success. If you are a quick learner and have creative mind in finding solutions plumbing is a best career option for you.
- A plumber should be good in mathematics as calculations are required during plumbing works like measuring pipes, cutting etc.
- If you want to earn more in plumbing sector you must study books related to it on regular basis as they improve your abilities and you can also get tips to quick fix some things.
Plumber Salary Details:
Plumbers in United States earns more than 50k USD per year and the salary package totally depends on the experience of plumber. During 1st year of apprenticeship plumbers usually get 17-18 dollar per hour and in 2nd year there is an approximate raise of 4-5 percent which converts to 20-23 dollars per hour.
When a apprentice plumber gets a Journeyman Plumbing license, he gets paid 35-40 dollars per hour. Some reputed plumbing companies and trade unions also provide insurance and pension plans to their plumbers.
There is no barrier in how much you can earn as Plumber because you can also open your own Plumbing company or become manager in Top plumbing companies after getting your Master Plumbing license.
Why To Choose Plumbing As Career:
- No college degree is required to become a plumber so you can save a lot of money which you are going to spend on your college education.
- In plumbing field you always learn new things and concepts to fix things as you get a chance to work with different kinds of people during your career journey.
- There is good money and no limitations to earn in the plumbing field.
FAQ:
Plumbing is not an easy gig as a lot of physical work is required like crawling under houses/tunnels, lifting objects etc. So if are not comfortable in it, avoid plumbing as your career option.
Yes sometimes you have to deal with dirt as during plumbing job you clothes will get dirty as you have to fix pipes at various locations like kitchen, bathroom and garages.
During plumbing works you may get hurt as you have to work under cabinet or small areas but you can take caution and use knee pads/hand gloves to avoid this. Most of the plumbing shops don’t provide any retirement pension plans so you must be prepared for that.