Go Back

Considering a Career in the Trades?

Here’s a Few Amazing Reasons Why You Should Become a Plumber!

Why become a plumber? The question should be why NOT become a plumber? This field offers many benefits such as an increase in demand, job security and an affordable education. The great thing about the plumbing field is its a career you can choose at any age. Check out the benefits below to see if a career in these fields is the right occupation for you.

Jobs Now – Most other career paths have been downsizing and there aren’t many jobs available, fortunately, this is not the case in the plumbing field. There are many jobs available right now for plumbers and future job openings are steadily increasing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the growth rate of jobs in the plumbing field between 2012 and 2022 is 21 percent. To put this in perspective, this is almost double the growth rate of the average of all other occupations.

Salary – With prices of everything around us constantly increasing, you need an income you and your family can live on. In 2012, the median pay for plumbers was $49,140 per year. The U.S. Census Bureau recorded that the median household income in Pittsburgh was $39,884 in 2012. Based on these statistics and recordings a career in plumbing offers a comfortable lifestyle.

Job Security – Jobs from manufacturing to taxis are being replaced by advanced technology or being outsourced, this is simply not the case or future of plumbing. Plumbing tools may evolve or change, but there will always be a need for a plumber to operate the equipment. There will always be a demand for plumbers as people will always have a clogged commode, leaking pipe or roots penetrating their gas line.

More Affordable Education – Trade schools are much more affordable than universities. This should bring you some peace of mind as the costs of universities are steadily increasing each year. A 2014 article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette found that, “According to the 2014 World Almanac and Book of Facts, the average annual cost of tuition and fees at two-year institutions in the U.S. from 2011 to 2012 was $13,879 versus $23,479 for tuition and fees at four-year institutions.” Most of these programs and trade schools are a maximum of two years, which saves you even more money on education.

These great benefits offered to those pursuing a career in plumbing are not found in any other career outside of the trades. Your education in this field do not stop after school, some companies, such as Gillece Services, offer paid training.