Plumbing is hard to learn because you need to put in a lot of hours as an apprentice before you get to become a plumber. On top of that, you also need to take plumbing classes and training in some jurisdictions. And you have to take a licensing exam to actually become a licensed plumber.
How long does it take to learn plumbing?
In this day and age where we put a lot of premium on those who went to college and finished in good schools, we often forget about how you can still make a lot of money out of professions that require skills and expertise in a certain field.
And the best part about such jobs is that you are not going to end up spending your entire life paying off your ridiculous student loans because, while you can still end up paying for training, skill-based professions are not as expensive as paying for four years of college.
So, when you think about certain jobs that require a person’s expertise in a field, it also is difficult to not regard how important these jobs are because, regardless of how well the economy is performing, people who work in such fields will always be earning enough money because they are essentially needed by everyone in the country. One such profession is plumbing.
You can never have enough plumbers in the country because of the very fact that everyone wants to have good plumbing in their household. Even when the economy is down, plumbers will still be needed.
That’s why some of the richest and most powerful men in the country actually encourage young people to take up plumbing instead of going to college because there is more job security and assurance when you are a plumber.
Moreover, plumbers can actually learn nearly $60,000 a year, which is more than what most college graduates make in jobs that don’t exactly fit their degrees.
Nevertheless, while it might be easy to tell someone to become a plumber instead of spending so many years paying off ridiculous student loans, the fact of the matter is that becoming a plumber isn’t as easy as it sounds.
On top of how plumbing doesn’t come with the glitz and glamour that other professions have, becoming a plumber takes a lot of time and effort as well.
As such, it is necessary for you to know how long it takes to become a plumber so that you can actually explore your options and think about whether becoming a plumber is the right career choice for you.
First off, the requirements to become a plumber may vary from one state to another because each state has its own statutes regarding what a person needs to become a plumber.
However, the average time spent by most people who want to become a plumber should be somewhere between 4 to 5 years as apprentices who work under licensed plumbers or plumbing unions. In some cases, you may also want to attend a plumbing trade school where it might take you somewhere between 2 to 4 years.
The difference between apprenticeship and trade school is that apprentice plumbers are usually working under businesses and unions, who are responsible for sponsoring the apprentices’ apprenticeship.
There are also more paid training opportunities for those who are working as apprentices because of how they work on the field most of the time and may end up getting paid for their work.
Meanwhile, even though going to trade school doesn’t come with the same paid training opportunities as those who choose the apprenticeship path, they have more flexibility when it comes to where they want to work after becoming plumbers because they don’t have to restrict themselves to the businesses or the unions that sponsored their apprenticeship.
You also have more control over your education if you choose to go through the trade school route because of how you will be able to learn what you want to learn and not only what is thrown at you.
Regardless of which apprenticeship and training school you choose, you are probably going to spend about 4 to 5 years learning how to become a plumber. And, depending on the state you live in, you may be able to take the plumbing certification exam so that you can now become a plumber after a total of about 4 to 5 years of apprenticeship, trade school, and work experience.
In that regard, the time it will take for someone to become a plumber right after high school is the same time that a person needs to finish his degree when he decided to go to college. As such, there is almost no difference when it comes to the time needed for either choice if time is what is the most important factor to consider here.
However, if you think about it, the difference you can see is in relation to the money you will be spending.
While the time and effort needed to become a plumber or to finish your college degree are generally the same, the difference lies in how it might be easier for most people to shoulder the expenses of becoming a plumber in comparison to the hefty payments needed to finish college.
Trade school is not cheap but it certainly is more affordable compared to most college tuitions. Of course, if you undergo an apprenticeship, you are basically sponsored and you don’t have to pay a ton of money to earn the experience you need to take the plumbing certification exam.
Is hard to learn to become a good plumber?
Now, while we have discussed the time and effort that it takes to become a certified plumber, there is a difference between becoming a plumber and a good plumber.
After all, being a certified plumber isn’t necessarily the best goal for those who go through the plumbing route because being a plumber alone won’t guarantee you a comfortable life and a good salary.
Instead, aiming to be a good plumber is the better decision here because being a good plumber means more command over your average salary and having more clients under your belt.
So, that said, most of the good plumbers put in a lot of work to actually become good enough in the field. It doesn’t only take work experience but also a lot of heavy lifting and price haggling when it comes to knowing how much your work is worth.
On top of that, you also have to consider the fact that staying at the journeyman certified plumber alone won’t always be enough to be a good plumber.
In that sense, it is better to aim to become a master plumber so that you will be able to gain more opportunities for yourself or even have a better command over your salary.
Every state has a different requirement but, in most cases, you would have to have two years of extensive experience and expertise as a journeyman plumber so that you could work your way up to master plumber status. Being a master plumber means that you are actually someone good enough in the field to reach that status.
Master plumbers will also have more command in what they do as plumbers because not all of these plumbers actually have to be on the field working as plumbers. Some master plumbers have the opportunity to work as heads of plumbing businesses and rarely work in the field.
As such, because plumbing requires a lot of physical work on the part of any person, being a good plumber means that you will be able to escape the usual hard physical labor earlier in your career and focus more on the business aspect or even the consultation part of being a plumber.
Is plumbing a stressful job?
Finally, now that you know that it will take years for someone to become a plumber and even more years to actually become a good plumber, you might be wondering if plumbing is actually a stressful job.
For most people, it can be quite stressful because plumbing doesn’t have any days off. Depending on who your clients are and on the demands of the job, you may end up working long hours every single day with no assurance of getting a day off unless you are actually physically too worn out to work.
Meanwhile, there is also the problem of working with tough clients who might not be too respectful of plumbers and might think that your expertise as a plumber means nothing to them. This can be stressful for any kind of plumber who has to work long hours while also putting in the necessary physical effort of carrying heavy equipment and staying on his feet throughout most of the entire day.
Conclusion
All in all, plumbing may end up becoming a lucrative and rewarding profession in a day and age where plumbers are necessary professionals. However, just because plumbing might be an easier route compared to other career paths doesn’t make it entirely easy.
Choosing the plumbing career path is similar to going to college because of the time and effort that you need to invest. While it might be more affordable, you are going to have to work hard physically and mentally to make sure that you get to become a good plumber and earn yourself a good career in the long run.
Sources:
https://www.quora.com/Is-Plumbing-a-hard-job
https://alphatradesmenacademy.com/is-it-hard-to-become-a-plumber/
https://blog.neighborlybrands.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-become-a-plumber
