In an increasingly competitive and frustrating job market, it seems that many young people have forgotten about the service and repair industries. It is assumed that getting a college degree is the only alternative to waiting tables or bagging groceries. What many of today's youth fail to realize is that the service industry is alive and well, full of good opportunities to find jobs that are engaging, challenging, and well-paid. One such job is becoming a plumber, which is one of the highest-paying jobs in the service sector and an immensely satisfying career option.
Becoming a plumber requires, first of all, a high school degree. The next step is either to attend a trade school or to apply for an apprenticeship with a local plumbers' union. Be aware that only about one in twenty applicants receive apprenticeships, however, while trade schools offer very helpful job placement programs. If you do go the apprenticeship route, however, you will need to complete over 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and roughly 200 hours of classroom time.
Time in the classroom in both trade school and apprenticeship includes mathematics, sketching and drawing, safety procedures, government regulations, and applied science. On-the-job training includes an array of skills, such as using a blowtorch, welding, cutting, pipefitting, working with ceramics, and an endless variety of smaller skills. Apprentice plumbers earn roughly half of a full-time plumber's salary, and earn raises based on experience. Trade schools will require approximately the same amount of work, and while you won't get paid, you will be able to finish your training more quickly in two to three years.
You'll have a better chance of getting a job right away. The job placement prospects for young plumbers are excellent. There is currently high demand for this trade and a relatively low supply of potential plumbers. It's important to know that the plumbing industry is about more than clogged drains and toilets.
Jobs in the plumbing industry include pipefitters, steamfitters, and plumbers. Industry averages round out to $19-20 per hour, meaning that a plumber working 40 hours a week can expect a gross salary of around $40k per year, plus benefits. These benefits may include health, dental, and retirement provisions, depending on the trade union. Experienced plumbers can earn far more, with the most well-established plumbers earning $32.50 per hour on average, or over $60,000 a year!
Plumbers generally enjoy a high degree of job satisfaction. Although the work can be physically demanding at times, plumbing actually offers a much higher degree of satisfaction, on average, than an office job. Plumbing offers the gratifying experience of being able to SEE the effects of a job well done. It is a profession of endless variety, with new challenges and problems to solve every day.
Plumbers are not stuck in a cubicle, they're always on the move, on to the next project or repair site. There is always more to learn, with continuing education classes available constantly and online resources helping plumbers to get better at what they do. Advancement is a real possibility, not only in terms of an increased hourly rate, but perhaps the chance to become the lead plumber for a company. An exciting future might include starting or managing your own business, or becoming a plumbing consultant for construction companies.
Author Resource:-
When you need plumbing Alexandria VA contact CFS Service Corporation for expert plumbing, heating, air conditioning and HVAC services. Call 703-670-8519.
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