Plumber
You install and fix the pipes that bring clean water in and carry waste out — skilled, in-demand work you can learn while getting paid, no college required.
Also called: Pipefitter, Steamfitter, Pipelayer, Gas fitter, Service plumber, Journeyman plumber, Master plumber
What it pays
Solid money for a trade you can enter with no degree. The U.S. median for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters was $62,970 a year (about $30.27/hour) in May 2024 per the BLS, with the top 10% earning over $105,150 and the bottom 10% under $40,670. Pay climbs sharply as you go from apprentice to journeyman to master, and the ceiling goes much higher if you own the business. Union plumbers typically earn 20-35% more than non-union in the same market, plus stronger benefits.
Big variables: union vs. non-union (union pays more with pension and healthcare), region (high-cost metros like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco and oil-and-gas areas pay well above average), and overtime (emergency and weekend calls pay premium). Commercial pipefitting and niches like medical gas typically pay above general residential. Owning your own shop is where the biggest money is, but it comes with business risk and longer hours.
What they do
A plumber installs, repairs, and maintains the systems that move water, gas, and waste through homes and buildings: water supply lines, drain and vent piping, sewer lines, water heaters, fixtures (toilets, sinks, tubs, faucets), and gas piping for appliances. On new construction you "rough in" the pipe inside the walls and floors before they're closed up, then come back to "trim out" and set the fixtures. On the service side you find and fix what's broken — a leak, a clog, a dead water heater, a backed-up sewer line — usually in someone's home or business. The official federal job title for the broader trade is "Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters" (BLS), and plumbing specifically is the residential/commercial water-and-waste end of that family.
This is real skilled work governed by a plumbing code (most areas use the IPC or UPC, plus local amendments), and most of it is inspected by a city or county inspector before it's signed off. You're not just turning wrenches — you're sizing pipe, calculating drainage slope, reading prints, pulling permits, and making sure the system is safe and legal. That's why the trade is licensed in almost every state and why the pay climbs as you move from apprentice to journeyman to master.
Who hires plumbers: residential service-and-repair companies, new-home and commercial construction contractors, mechanical contractors, property managers and facilities departments, water and wastewater utilities, hospitals, and government. Plenty of plumbers eventually go out on their own and run a shop. Because every building needs plumbing and pipes fail no matter what the economy is doing, the work is steady, hard to offshore, and very hard to automate.
The honest tradeoff: it's physical, sometimes dirty (yes, sewage), and the apprenticeship is a few years of lower pay before you reach journeyman wages. In exchange you get paid from day one, finish with no college debt, earn a license that's respected and portable, and have a clear path to six figures or your own business.
A typical day
- Check the day's work orders or the job-site plan, load the truck or gather materials, and review what the plumbing code requires for each task.
- Rough-in plumbing on new construction: measure, cut, ream, and join pipe (PVC, copper, PEX, cast iron), then run water supply and drain/vent lines through framing before the walls close up.
- Diagnose service calls: find the leak, the clog, or the failed part — sometimes by snaking a camera down a drain line — explain the fix and the price to the customer, then do the repair.
- Install or replace fixtures and equipment: toilets, sinks, faucets, water heaters, garbage disposals, sump pumps, water softeners, and gas appliances.
- Solder copper joints, solvent-weld plastic pipe, thread steel pipe, and set press fittings; test the system for leaks and proper pressure before closing anything up.
- Clear blocked drains and sewer lines with augers, drain snakes, or hydro-jetting equipment.
- Read blueprints and coordinate with other trades (electricians, framers, HVAC) so pipe runs don't collide with wiring or ductwork.
- Pull permits, meet the city or county inspector, and make sure the work passes inspection; keep a clean job site and document what was done.
- Wrap up: clean the work area, stock the truck for tomorrow, log hours and parts, and handle the invoice or paperwork.
Where you work
Plumbers work indoors and outdoors, on new job sites and in occupied homes and buildings. Expect to be on your knees, on your back under sinks, in crawl spaces, in trenches, on ladders, and in unfinished basements and attics — comfortable is not the word. New-construction work follows the build, so you're often in spaces with no heat or AC yet, in heat, cold, mud, and dust. Service plumbers drive between calls all day and deal with whatever a customer's home throws at them, including raw sewage and unpleasant smells. The work is physically demanding: lifting heavy fixtures and pipe, hauling water heaters, digging, and a lot of crouching and reaching that wears on knees, shoulders, and backs over a career.
Hours vary by lane. New construction and commercial are usually steady daytime hours, sometimes long ones to hit deadlines. Service and repair often includes on-call rotations, nights, weekends, and emergencies — a burst pipe at 2 a.m. doesn't wait. Real hazards exist: cuts and burns (soldering and hot pipe), falls, working in trenches that can collapse, exposure to lead and sewage, confined spaces, and gas lines. Following safety rules (trench shoring, lockout/tagout, proper ventilation, PPE) is not optional. The upside: it's active, hands-on, never the same day twice, and there's deep satisfaction in walking away from a problem you fixed.
How to get in
The standard, smartest path is a paid apprenticeship: you get hired, work full-time under licensed plumbers, take classroom training on the side (often two evenings a week), and get paid the whole time with no tuition debt. You can go union or non-union, and either way you come out a licensed journeyman. Many people start as an unskilled helper/laborer first to get a foot in the door, then move into a registered apprenticeship — most states require a sponsoring licensed contractor, so lining up an employer is often step one.
Apply to a United Association (UA) local union's plumbing apprenticeship through its Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC). You work for signatory contractors, earn raises each year, and get strong benefits (pension, healthcare). Competitive to get into, but the training and pay are excellent.
Apply through associations like PHCC (Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors) or ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors), or directly with a non-union plumbing contractor that runs a registered program. Same earn-while-you-learn model, and often easier to get started.
Get hired by a local plumbing company as a helper or apprentice-in-training, prove yourself, and have them sponsor you into a registered apprenticeship (most states require a sponsoring licensed contractor to register you).
Do a plumbing certificate or associate program at a community college or trade school, which can make you more attractive to employers and sometimes shortens required hours, then enter an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships
Length: 4 to 5 years (most are 5), combining about 8,000-10,000 hours of paid on-the-job training with roughly 1,200-1,700 hours of classroom/technical instruction (often two evenings a week).
Earn while you learn: You're paid wages from day one and get a raise each year as your skills grow. Apprentices typically start around 40-50% of the journeyman wage and step up to nearly full journeyman pay by the final year. With benefits, a UA apprentice's total package can be strong even early on, and you finish with no tuition debt. Exact starting pay depends heavily on your local and region.
How to find one: Use the federal Apprenticeship Finder at apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-job-finder (search 'plumber' plus your location). Apply directly to a UA local union's JATC (find your local at ua.org). For non-union routes, contact your local PHCC or ABC chapter, or apply straight to plumbing contractors in your area and ask about their registered apprenticeship. Most states require a sponsoring licensed contractor, so lining up an employer is often step one.
Certifications
The core credential. Proves you know the plumbing code and can work on your own. The experience requirement is typically about 4-5 years (commonly 8,000+ documented hours), then a written exam.
The top license. Usually requires roughly 1-2+ years (often 4,000+ hours, but it varies a lot by state) working as a licensed journeyman, plus a harder exam covering code, design, and sometimes business and law. You generally must hold a journeyman license first — you can't jump straight from apprentice to master.
Certifies you to test and certify backflow prevention assemblies that keep contaminated water from flowing back into the clean supply. Typically a ~40-hour course plus written and hands-on exams, renewed every 3 years. A valuable, in-demand niche.
Requires about 4 years of documented plumbing/mechanical piping experience, a valid ASME Section IX brazing certification, and a 32-hour course with written and practical exams. Lets you install oxygen, vacuum, and other medical gas piping — specialized, well paid, and renewed every 3 years (with periodic brazing recertification).
Basic to intermediate job-site safety training. OSHA 10 is aimed at entry-level workers, OSHA 30 at those with more responsibility (foremen, supervisors). Quick to get and often mandatory to set foot on a commercial site.
Depending on your state and the work, you may need a separate gas-fitting license or endorsement and EPA lead-safe (RRP) certification for work in older homes. Check your state and local rules.
Licensing
Plumbing is a licensed trade in nearly every state, and the license is what lets you work on your own, pull permits, and charge real money. The standard ladder is apprentice (register, usually no exam) → journeyman (pass an exam after your apprenticeship hours, then work unsupervised) → master (more experience plus a harder exam; can pull permits, supervise, and own a business). The exact rules — exams, required hours, fees, and even whether the license is issued by the state, the county, or the city — differ a lot from place to place. A few states regulate plumbing lightly at the state level and leave it to localities. Always check your own state's (and city's) plumbing board before you start.
Licensing rules vary by state - check your state board.
Education
Minimum: High school diploma or GED. You need to be able to read, do basic math and fractions (measuring and sizing pipe), and typically pass a drug test; many programs require you to be at least 18.
Helps: High school shop, vocational, or technical classes; a plumbing program at a community college or trade school (often 6 months to 2 years) can help you get into an apprenticeship and may count toward your required hours. Strong math (especially fractions, geometry, and basic algebra) and a clean driving record both help a lot, since service plumbers drive company trucks.
Skills you'll need
Technical
Physical
People & habits
Tools of the trade
The real deal
Pros
- Strong, recession-resistant demand — buildings always need plumbing and pipes always fail
- Earn while you learn: get paid from day one with no college debt
- Real path to six figures and to owning your own business
- Licensed, skilled trade that's respected and very hard to offshore or automate
- Active, hands-on, problem-solving work — never stuck at a desk
- Clear advancement ladder (apprentice → journeyman → master → owner)
Cons
- Physically hard on the body — knees, back, and shoulders take a beating over the years
- You deal with sewage, mud, smells, and genuinely gross situations
- Tough conditions: tight crawl spaces, hot attics, cold unfinished sites, trenches
- On-call nights, weekends, and emergencies on the service side
- Real injury risks: burns, cuts, falls, trench collapse, gas, and confined spaces
- The apprenticeship is several years of lower pay before you reach journeyman wages
- New-construction work can slow when the building economy dips (service/repair holds up better)
Where it can go
Specializations
Truck-based work fixing leaks, clogs, water heaters, and fixtures in homes. Customer-facing and steady; the classic 'call a plumber' job.
Roughing in and finishing plumbing in homes and buildings being built. Steady daytime work tied to the construction schedule.
Larger, higher-pressure systems in factories, hospitals, power plants, and high-rises, including heating/cooling and process piping. Often higher pay and a separate apprenticeship track within the UA.
Installing oxygen, vacuum, and medical gas piping in hospitals and clinics (ASSE 6010, plus an ASME IX brazing cert). Specialized, well-paid, and in demand.
Testing and certifying backflow devices (ASSE 5110). A reliable niche, often required annually by water utilities — good recurring income.
Heavy drain cleaning, sewer-line repair, and trenchless pipe relining using cameras and hydro-jetters. High-demand emergency work.
Installing and repairing natural gas and propane lines and appliances; often a separate license or endorsement depending on the state.
Start this week
- Confirm you have a high school diploma or GED, and brush up on basic math and fractions — you'll use them every day measuring and sizing pipe.
- Look up YOUR state's plumbing board online and read the exact license and apprenticeship requirements (search '[your state] plumbing license requirements').
- Search 'plumber' plus your city on apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-job-finder to see open paid apprenticeships near you.
- Contact your local UA union hall (find it at ua.org) AND your local PHCC or ABC chapter to ask when they're accepting apprentice applications.
- Apply to 5-10 local plumbing companies for a helper or apprentice position — getting hired by a licensed contractor is often the key that unlocks registering as an apprentice.
- Get a reliable vehicle and a clean driving record sorted out, and be ready to pass a drug test — both are commonly required.
- Optional head start: enroll in a short plumbing course at a community college or trade school to make yourself a stronger applicant.
Job outlook
Steady and reliable. Every building needs plumbing, and pipes, water heaters, and sewer lines eventually fail no matter the economy — so plumbers stay needed even when other construction slows. A large share of current plumbers are nearing retirement, which means a steady stream of openings for new people. There is a genuine, widely reported shortage of skilled trades workers nationwide, and plumbing is near the top of that list.
The BLS projects 4% employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (about as fast as the average for all jobs), with roughly 44,000 openings per year over the decade — most coming not from new positions but from replacing workers who retire or leave the field. The trade held about 504,500 jobs in 2024. So the headline 4% growth number understates the real opportunity: the bigger driver is replacing the wave of retiring journeymen and masters, which is why companies are hiring even though projected growth is only average.
Helpful links
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters - Official government source for pay, job outlook, and what the work involves.
- Apprenticeship.gov — Apprenticeship Finder - Federal tool to search and apply for paid plumbing apprenticeships near you.
- United Association (UA) — Apprenticeship - The plumbers' and pipefitters' union — find your local hall and apply to its apprenticeship.
- Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) - Industry association with non-union (merit-shop) apprenticeships and training.
- Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) — Apprenticeship - Merit-shop apprenticeship programs for plumbing and other trades.
- ASSE International — Personnel Certification - The certifying body for backflow tester (5110) and medical gas (6010) certifications.
- U.S. Department of Labor — Apprenticeship - Overview of registered apprenticeships and how they work.
Common questions
Do I need to go to college to become a plumber?
No. You need a high school diploma or GED. From there the normal path is a paid apprenticeship where you learn on the job and in evening or weekend classes. Trade school is optional and can help you get started, but it's not required — and an apprenticeship pays you instead of charging tuition.
How long does it take to become a licensed plumber?
Plan on about 4 to 5 years as an apprentice to reach journeyman, which is when you can work on your own. To become a master plumber (so you can pull permits and run a business) usually takes another 1-2+ years of licensed journeyman experience plus a harder exam. The exact hours and exams vary by state.
How much can I actually make?
Apprentices start around $18-$26/hour. Licensed journeymen typically make about $31-$37/hour ($64,000-$77,000/year), and the national median for the trade is $62,970 (BLS, May 2024). Masters and specialists can hit $80,000-$105,000+, and plumbers who own a successful business can clear $150,000-$250,000+. Union plumbers generally earn more, plus pension and healthcare. Pay varies a lot by region.
Is plumbing hard on your body?
Yes, honestly. You'll spend years kneeling, crawling, lifting heavy things, and working in tight or unpleasant spots, and it wears on the knees, back, and shoulders. Good technique, knee pads, the right tools, and moving into supervisory or business roles later all help you last in the trade.
Do I need a license, and is it the same everywhere?
You almost always need a license, and no, it's not the same everywhere. Most states use an apprentice → journeyman → master ladder, but the exact hours, exams, and even whether your city, county, or state issues it vary a lot. A few states regulate plumbing only lightly at the state level. Always check your own state's and city's plumbing board before you start.
Union or non-union — which should I pick?
Both lead to a journeyman license. Union (UA) generally pays more and has strong pension and healthcare benefits, with very structured training, but can be competitive to get into. Non-union (through PHCC, ABC, or a contractor) is often easier to start and can offer more flexibility. Many plumbers do well either way — pick based on what's hiring near you.
Will robots or AI take plumbing jobs?
Very unlikely anytime soon. Plumbing is hands-on, happens in unpredictable real-world spaces (every house is different), and requires judgment, licensing, and physical work. It's one of the more automation-proof careers out there.
Talk to others in this trade