Plumbing Apprenticeships: Key to a Rewarding Career

For the past several decades, while most parents have encouraged their children to pursue a college degree, fewer young people have taken advantage of programs like plumbing apprenticeships designed to teach the plumbing trades. At the same time, the US population has increased substantially, increasing the demand for qualified professionals in these and other areas. Following the law of supply and demand, those who have completed their plumbing apprenticeship now earn salaries equal to and often higher than the average college graduate.

Also, pursuing a trade is a very good career choice for the person who doesn’t want to sit at a desk all day or likes to work with their hands. When we think of plumbers, most of us think of the men and women who come to the house to fix a leak or clean a clogged drain. But plumbing is a career that offers many diverse options in both types of jobs and areas of work. Both men and women can now be found pursuing careers in plumbing with large commercial construction companies, home builders, home renovators, and even for local, state, and federal governments.

Some plumbers decide to specialize in a specific area and become masters of these roles. Some of the types of work that plumbers can specialize in are:

• Pipelayers – These plumbers focus on properly laying pipe for drainage, water, and other systems.
• Pipefitters – plumbers who work with pressurized piping systems
• Steam Fitters: People who work with piping systems that transport gas and steam at very high pressure.
• Sprinkler Installers: Specializing in the installation of office and apartment building sized fire suppression systems.

In local government, plumbers will work closely with local building inspectors to ensure that both the new plumbing system and any changes to an existing plumbing system are correct and working properly. At the state level, highly-skilled plumbers assist in inspecting water treatment plants, performing required repairs on state property and buildings, and other tasks.

In the service of the federal government, plumbers not only maintain and install the system in federally owned buildings across the country, but also often support the military by providing their services as needed around the world. Not to be overlooked as a career option is starting your own plumbing business. Many plumbers who started working for a national chain or government start their own plumbing businesses and have very rewarding careers.

In short, plumbers have been with us for years playing a critical role in public sanitation and keeping our commercial and private systems in good working order. Plumbing jobs in all their wide variety make for an intriguing career choice.