Not all plumbers are created equal. Although the basic concept is the same for residential or commercial plumbers, just like any other profession, plumbers can become specialist in one are. Plumbers who work in strictly in construction for example will work under primitive conditions to rough in plumbing and pipes to homes or buildings that are under construction as soon as the buildings skeleton is built. They will return after the drywall and other fixtures such as the carpeting and utilities are installed to complete the job.
Needless to say plumbers who work in construction aren't the ones home owners call when the toilet is backed up or the drains need to be cleaned.
In order to become a plumber a person has to have a high school diploma or a GED and have strong math skills including algebra. This is one career field that actually uses the dreaded algebra that we were all forced to learn in school. The next part of the process is to find an apprenticeship program. Most states run these programs which match prospective plumbers up with existing journeyman plumbers to gain hands on experience.
An apprenticeship program is four years long and involves working through four levels. Each level requires 1800 hours of time that will include field work and classroom work. The majority of an apprentice time is spent in the field (80%) and the remaining twenty percent of time is devoted to classroom to time to learn the math and science skills needed to be a plumber. Apprentice plumbers also must learn how to read and understand blueprints, which is especially important for a plumber who wants to work in construction plumbing.
Once the apprenticeship is completed a plumber is able to become certified and with enough time under his or her belt become a journeyman plumber able to teach and train other apprentice plumbers in the trade.
One advantage to the apprentice training is the time to learn the program is paid time. While in training students start off making fifty percent of what a journeyman plumber would be paid and each year they complete that rate goes up ten percent. Students who are working for a unionized plumbing company can expect to make substantially higher wages than the non unionized plumber apprentice will make and often benefits including dental, medical, vision and 401Ks are included in the training benefits package.
Experienced plumbers generally make around $40,000 a year depending on what type of plumbing they specialize in and prevailing economic conditions.