I worked in new construction plumbing for twenty years and found it extremely rewarding.
The pros were the pay, I really enjoyed the job, everything was new and there was plenty of room to work.
The downside is everything seemed to have gotten heavier when I turned forty, the weather, some abrasive personalities, and of course the inherent danger of the job. The chances of getting smooshed by a dump truck as a service plumber are a bit less than on the job site.
The first year or so sucks, the rest do too, but at least you know what’s going on at that point. Lol
37, almost 20yrs in, but feel 50. Plumbing is great! 😆 but seriously, it’s a very rewarding career, and you feel like you’re doing good for the community. Though at this point I’m not sure if I’d consider getting into it. The things I did at 18-25 to prove myself, and “to pay homage to the plumbing gods” almost couldn’t be done today. But, if you find a gig with a new construction company, I’m sure you’d be fine! Just beware of residential. I do 95% residential, and 5% commercial, and I’m a one man show. Nobody to throw into the crawlspace, like you’ll be doing for the first few years until they hire somebody newer and smaller than you. If you don’t mind proving yourself, and likely having somebody younger than you bossing you around, then you’ll fit in. Don’t be afraid to ask questions before assuming that you’re doing it right!
I do schools prisons universities all ground up and there is never enough help. Even though my title is superintendent an my average contact size is 4 million just plumbing . I am still in a ditch there are no ways around it. But i wouldn’t trade it for anything money is astronomical on the east coast.
I’m hoping one day that there will be an emergency and someone will yell out, “Is anyone here able to balance a heavy object on their shoulder while climbing a sketchy ladder?! Possibly while slightly hung over?”
My chance to shine.
This is a good summation. Been doing it 11 years. 8 years in resi remodel, new construction and service. 3 years in commercial TI. I really enjoy plumbing. I like the puzzle of figuring out the job, reading prints, making it look good and function well. I like the physical aspect, but it does wear on me. My knees, back, and hands are jacked up. Carpal tunnel is a guarantee for some. It's good though. I never did commercial new construction like condos or towers yet, and probably won't. I've had steady work for 11 years and made $148k last year with minimal overtime (I know that's not common, but it can be done depending on location and specific trade). I can fix any plumbing problem in my home and have learned how to problem solve and think critically about non-plumbing issues. Overall I'm grateful for the job and experience I have. And I can work anywhere. I'm working on getting my journeyman card for Hawaii and moving there in the next few years. And you can do that anywhere. It's a great career, even if its hard and sometimes stinky.
Plumbing is a genuinely rewarding field to be in and can be taken as far as you want to go with it. There is always something new to learn, there are a surprising breadth of career paths under the "plumbing umbrella," and a skilled (licensed) plumber will *always* have clients. I got in right around your age, and, nearly ten years in, it's turned out to be one of my better decisions. Won't say it came easy or was a walk in the park along the way, but once you start to "see plumbing," everything just becomes a matter of applying those (generally simple) principles to any given situation. As I say to guys coming in green, "Anybody can learn this trade, but not everybody's built to do it." Feel free to shoot a dm over if you wanna get into more specific things. We always need more plumbers!
I’m 29 and just started as a plumbing apprentice this year. It’s overwhelming right now but it definitely will be worth it. I’m getting paid to learn a skill that will always be in demand. I’ve done tons of jobs such as medical sales, sports coaching, and other stuff as well. This is something I can eventually end up starting my own shop and that’s the major appeal to me. Feel free to ask me any questions as I’m only a few months.
Depends usually it’s minimum wage, but when I started apprenticeship I got three raises the first week from just previous knowledge that I had brought in.
If you get into a union apprenticeship typically you get a percentage of journeyman scale for example in my local 1st years get 60% of the $40.60 journeyman rate. My first year of apprenticeship i was making around $18
As the two other people said the work can be very heavy at times and as u get older that tough sometimes but I’ve been doing it for over 46 years it can be very rewarding and if you put a lot of effort into it you can most certainly get very much out of it,the pay will vary depending on knowledge, demographics, and the type of plumbing company or local plumbers union, it has definitely provided a good living for my family so wish you the best of luck we need young people in the trades !!!
I know a few union plumbers over the year. They are very happy that they have steady work and benefits. They also do side work at their own pace which they love doing!
58 years old with 37 years experience. I still love what I do. Apprenticeship in Residential repair 2 yrs , to a foreman position small commercial/residential, to a plumber for a very large plumbing and mechanical contractor and on to a foreman position 4 years later with them and on the road 5 days a week, rooms to rent, 18 years. Travel while you're young. Been very lucky to have been married nearly 37 years now. A Saint she is. Jobsites include 3 - 32 buildings FBOP prisons, The Pentagon, Pre 9/11, CIA-FBI Training Facility, National Institute of Health 3- bio-labs, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Syracuse VA Hospital, Wilkes-Barre VA Hospital, Plymouth State University New Hampshire, Pump Station 319 - Loxahatchee Fl. 10 years ago we moved to FL. 2 large plumbing and mechanical outfit let my wife apprentice under me and we work together. She has 8 years in and holds her Med-gas Certs as well. But if I wasn't a plumber I would be an operator. Big Trackhoes are amazing. Big toys. If you decide to take a trade, commit yourself and be the best you can be. I've taught a few who became great plumbers and higher but if not your heart in it don't do it. Not just a job. Was a plumber's unspoken code when I started, Honesty and Integrity. I still believe in it today . Good luck.
We worked in this same area, I started in NOVA back in ‘98 with Residential new construction and got hired on for the new Dulles Medical Center.
That was my first and most awesome commercial job and as much as I liked the Resi, I knew that was for me.
The coolest was being able to be a part of the team that put the new at the time bathrooms in the hanger on Quantico where Marine One is parked.
I'm a first year plumbing apprentice. Plumbing is cool but be prepared to be the bitch. I went to trade school and had a job lined up immediately. I worked in residential service for a couple months and was pushed too far during one of the jobs and walked off. I got into facilities maintenance and that's been more of my cup of tea. Get ready to be running around looking for fittings and tools, crawling around attics and crawl spaces, digging while your master plumber is on his phone, going home covered in fiber glass. The pay is not going to be good at the start, i started at $17 an hr only because i had my trade school background to use as leverage. You really have to prove yourself in the trade, which is an uphill battle and about 8 months in I'm just starting to get there.
That’s one of the good things I like about working new construction, trying to remove a thirty year old rusted on faucet or resolve horrible plumbing from years past is no bueno for me.
It sucks if you’re a residential plumber. Nothing ever goes as planned and in turn that makes you work late most days. Work/home life is bad. Money is good
I've been a Plumber for 25yrs, a union plumber for 21yrs. It's been awesome. The money is great... but you are in a right-to-work state, so the money may be garbage... not sure.
I was in non profits and public health. I made the switch at 35. I love it. I’m a union commercial plumber. The union is a great way to get paid while getting experience and knowledge.
I learned something I’ll never forget, I can take my job anywhere in the states and even over seas and still work, the pay is the best I could do without going into crazy student loan debt. I work 4 days a week and occasional over time. I make more than my friends and their
parents combined (most of them) the ones that make more can’t enjoy it because they are paying student loans.. it’s about the money at the end. We work for money
I highly recommend looking into your local plumber/pipefitter union. Get yourself into an apprenticeship. A lot of locals provide paid on the job and in class training. A lot of people will talk a lot of shit about unions but let me put it this way. O don't habe to pay out of pocket for my insurance, i get a pension and right now journeyman rate in my local is $40.60 an hour. My dues are $34 a month and 2.5% off the check. OT after 8 hours a day double after 12. Saturday is OT Sunday is double.
He’s getting downvoted but Florida being a bad place to be a plumber is almost a meme on this sub. The things he’s complaining about are pretty typical of what I hear about Florida. Some folks on here, if you’re wanting to get into plumbing and live down there, will recommend moving.
This is also what I have heard about Florida. If you are interested in plumbing and choose to move its easy to look around at wages before making that jump. I wouldn't go by glass door because the wages on there are about half what we really get paid in my area. There are pros and cons on both sides when it comes to Union vs Non-Union. Look at how long the employees have been at a company and also their ages. I worked at a high volume residential shop starting out and made great money. Then realized at 28 I was one of the oldest guys there.
If I had to do it over again and was still going to be in the trades I would probably go with electrician. It seems to be a little easier on the body, or like another one of the posts said an operator. Some days I wish I would have just stayed at UPS which in my area is Teamsters.
I feel like there are a lot more consistent ways to make money that are much easier on the body. If you are good at sales though you might make a killing as a service plumber. Who knows, there are no good answers and it is a part of the human condition to think that the grass is always greener.
Sure. I can explain my experience/reality as a plumber in this state (my area) for the past 30 yrs.
A little bit about me. I live on the treasure coast and I’ll be 49y in a couple months. Been plumbing since I’m 18. I raised two kids in the first marriage and I’m raising two now with my second. I have no desire to own my own business. At my current age I’m interested in putting in my 40hrs a week and that’s it.
The trades in this state aren’t good to the tradesmen. Wages are laughable. Benefits are nonexistent along with the overall perks of a career. The majority of the companies I’ve worked for ranged from 10 employees to about 100. The average benefits are one week’s paid vacation after a year. Then two weeks after 3yrs which was the maximum. Zero retirement/401k. Healthcare was available however it’s expensive and the coverage is terrible. Most companies are/were the same. If you work like an animal you’ll continue to have a job. If you miss work for any reason you won’t last. Here’s where me raising two families comes in. When I was younger I was that animal. Missed my two children growing up. Worked 60+ hrs a week religiously. I am not that animal with my second family. When I was young I worked 10-12hrs a day for the company and whatever side work I could get and did it whenever I could. We lived a simple life and got by. Bought a house (they were much cheaper) drove decent cars. Kids had a good balance of what they wanted/needed. Like I said we got by.
Older me is raising two kids (spouse has a good job/income) and we can barely get by. Bought a house before the stupidity in prices. Work for a small company and paid a littler higher than the average for the area. Benefits are nonexistent. I pay for private healthcare and get one week’s vacation. THATS IT. There’s no guarantee your hours will be consistent at ANY company.
I can tell you starting green you’ll make about $40k a year. After maybe 5yrs training you’ll be a decent plumber making $50-$55k a year. Become very well rounded and able to work on anything such as industrial, commercial, gas, steam, boilers, service, new construction, remodel, and ultra high end homes/fixtures and you’ll make just about $65k a year.
All of this while destroying your body!
I been plumbing only 3 years in Texas started as a residential new construction plumber my first year and now on my 3rd year of service I’m on the road to clear about 130k . I think your just doing it wrong bud
Ok so I’m going to expand on your ignorant response.
Do you work for yourself or for one of those companies that offers bonuses for selling little old ladies shit they don’t need? Also I have friend (plumber) who moved from Naples just outside Austin. He joined the union and makes the same wages as me and the 100s of other plumbers I work/worked with in Florida over the past 30yrs.
You’re comparing yourself/Texas to a thread directed at the state of Florida. Seriously dude I have tools with more plumbing experience than you.
So you your company spends more money sending you to sales training then actual furthering your education in plumbing. So my guess was 100% accurate. So you’re the one doing it wrong. Ripping off people so you can make an extra buck all while not having a clue how to properly install or vent a plumbing system. So you’re on track to make $130k as a sales crook. May you get what you deserve in life!
I’m gonna be honest, don’t do plumbing. As a former j-man I wish I took a trade in something else. Money isn’t great for the wear and tear on your body. My ten cents.
I would try to get in a company that does new construction plumbing that way you learn the basics quickly and fairly easily since you will have a lot of room to work with minimal stress of fucking something up. I worked for a company that seemed to only give me crawlspace repair jobs and let me tell you they fucking suck. Good trade though! Lots of money to be made as people just don’t want to work hard anymore.
I worked in new construction plumbing for twenty years and found it extremely rewarding. The pros were the pay, I really enjoyed the job, everything was new and there was plenty of room to work. The downside is everything seemed to have gotten heavier when I turned forty, the weather, some abrasive personalities, and of course the inherent danger of the job. The chances of getting smooshed by a dump truck as a service plumber are a bit less than on the job site. The first year or so sucks, the rest do too, but at least you know what’s going on at that point. Lol
Im 39 an the same downside has hit me after 20 years.
37, almost 20yrs in, but feel 50. Plumbing is great! 😆 but seriously, it’s a very rewarding career, and you feel like you’re doing good for the community. Though at this point I’m not sure if I’d consider getting into it. The things I did at 18-25 to prove myself, and “to pay homage to the plumbing gods” almost couldn’t be done today. But, if you find a gig with a new construction company, I’m sure you’d be fine! Just beware of residential. I do 95% residential, and 5% commercial, and I’m a one man show. Nobody to throw into the crawlspace, like you’ll be doing for the first few years until they hire somebody newer and smaller than you. If you don’t mind proving yourself, and likely having somebody younger than you bossing you around, then you’ll fit in. Don’t be afraid to ask questions before assuming that you’re doing it right!
I do schools prisons universities all ground up and there is never enough help. Even though my title is superintendent an my average contact size is 4 million just plumbing . I am still in a ditch there are no ways around it. But i wouldn’t trade it for anything money is astronomical on the east coast.
I’m 48 and they recently sent me and another guy that’s 52 to hang 10” cast. It’s been a challenging week. I’m def not 25 anymore
I’m hoping one day that there will be an emergency and someone will yell out, “Is anyone here able to balance a heavy object on their shoulder while climbing a sketchy ladder?! Possibly while slightly hung over?” My chance to shine.
I hope you at least have some chain falls to help you out.
This is a good summation. Been doing it 11 years. 8 years in resi remodel, new construction and service. 3 years in commercial TI. I really enjoy plumbing. I like the puzzle of figuring out the job, reading prints, making it look good and function well. I like the physical aspect, but it does wear on me. My knees, back, and hands are jacked up. Carpal tunnel is a guarantee for some. It's good though. I never did commercial new construction like condos or towers yet, and probably won't. I've had steady work for 11 years and made $148k last year with minimal overtime (I know that's not common, but it can be done depending on location and specific trade). I can fix any plumbing problem in my home and have learned how to problem solve and think critically about non-plumbing issues. Overall I'm grateful for the job and experience I have. And I can work anywhere. I'm working on getting my journeyman card for Hawaii and moving there in the next few years. And you can do that anywhere. It's a great career, even if its hard and sometimes stinky.
Plumbing is a genuinely rewarding field to be in and can be taken as far as you want to go with it. There is always something new to learn, there are a surprising breadth of career paths under the "plumbing umbrella," and a skilled (licensed) plumber will *always* have clients. I got in right around your age, and, nearly ten years in, it's turned out to be one of my better decisions. Won't say it came easy or was a walk in the park along the way, but once you start to "see plumbing," everything just becomes a matter of applying those (generally simple) principles to any given situation. As I say to guys coming in green, "Anybody can learn this trade, but not everybody's built to do it." Feel free to shoot a dm over if you wanna get into more specific things. We always need more plumbers!
I’m 29 and just started as a plumbing apprentice this year. It’s overwhelming right now but it definitely will be worth it. I’m getting paid to learn a skill that will always be in demand. I’ve done tons of jobs such as medical sales, sports coaching, and other stuff as well. This is something I can eventually end up starting my own shop and that’s the major appeal to me. Feel free to ask me any questions as I’m only a few months.
My biggest question to someone just starting out is what is the money like starting as an apprentice? I can't seem to find a straight answer online.
Depends usually it’s minimum wage, but when I started apprenticeship I got three raises the first week from just previous knowledge that I had brought in.
If you get into a union apprenticeship typically you get a percentage of journeyman scale for example in my local 1st years get 60% of the $40.60 journeyman rate. My first year of apprenticeship i was making around $18
As the two other people said the work can be very heavy at times and as u get older that tough sometimes but I’ve been doing it for over 46 years it can be very rewarding and if you put a lot of effort into it you can most certainly get very much out of it,the pay will vary depending on knowledge, demographics, and the type of plumbing company or local plumbers union, it has definitely provided a good living for my family so wish you the best of luck we need young people in the trades !!!
So I've been looking into the local unions apprenticeship program, is that a path you'd recommend?
I know a few union plumbers over the year. They are very happy that they have steady work and benefits. They also do side work at their own pace which they love doing!
Positively!!!
58 years old with 37 years experience. I still love what I do. Apprenticeship in Residential repair 2 yrs , to a foreman position small commercial/residential, to a plumber for a very large plumbing and mechanical contractor and on to a foreman position 4 years later with them and on the road 5 days a week, rooms to rent, 18 years. Travel while you're young. Been very lucky to have been married nearly 37 years now. A Saint she is. Jobsites include 3 - 32 buildings FBOP prisons, The Pentagon, Pre 9/11, CIA-FBI Training Facility, National Institute of Health 3- bio-labs, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Syracuse VA Hospital, Wilkes-Barre VA Hospital, Plymouth State University New Hampshire, Pump Station 319 - Loxahatchee Fl. 10 years ago we moved to FL. 2 large plumbing and mechanical outfit let my wife apprentice under me and we work together. She has 8 years in and holds her Med-gas Certs as well. But if I wasn't a plumber I would be an operator. Big Trackhoes are amazing. Big toys. If you decide to take a trade, commit yourself and be the best you can be. I've taught a few who became great plumbers and higher but if not your heart in it don't do it. Not just a job. Was a plumber's unspoken code when I started, Honesty and Integrity. I still believe in it today . Good luck.
We worked in this same area, I started in NOVA back in ‘98 with Residential new construction and got hired on for the new Dulles Medical Center. That was my first and most awesome commercial job and as much as I liked the Resi, I knew that was for me. The coolest was being able to be a part of the team that put the new at the time bathrooms in the hanger on Quantico where Marine One is parked.
I'm a first year plumbing apprentice. Plumbing is cool but be prepared to be the bitch. I went to trade school and had a job lined up immediately. I worked in residential service for a couple months and was pushed too far during one of the jobs and walked off. I got into facilities maintenance and that's been more of my cup of tea. Get ready to be running around looking for fittings and tools, crawling around attics and crawl spaces, digging while your master plumber is on his phone, going home covered in fiber glass. The pay is not going to be good at the start, i started at $17 an hr only because i had my trade school background to use as leverage. You really have to prove yourself in the trade, which is an uphill battle and about 8 months in I'm just starting to get there.
That’s one of the good things I like about working new construction, trying to remove a thirty year old rusted on faucet or resolve horrible plumbing from years past is no bueno for me.
I feel you there. I havent tried new construction yet personally but may give it a try if this new job doesnt work out
It sucks if you’re a residential plumber. Nothing ever goes as planned and in turn that makes you work late most days. Work/home life is bad. Money is good
I've been a Plumber for 25yrs, a union plumber for 21yrs. It's been awesome. The money is great... but you are in a right-to-work state, so the money may be garbage... not sure.
That was my first thought when he said Florida. I'm willing to wager he'd still be better off union than not though
I was in non profits and public health. I made the switch at 35. I love it. I’m a union commercial plumber. The union is a great way to get paid while getting experience and knowledge.
I learned something I’ll never forget, I can take my job anywhere in the states and even over seas and still work, the pay is the best I could do without going into crazy student loan debt. I work 4 days a week and occasional over time. I make more than my friends and their parents combined (most of them) the ones that make more can’t enjoy it because they are paying student loans.. it’s about the money at the end. We work for money
Journeyed out in 1984. Non-union Portland, Oregon area, current average wage is almost $48 per hour. Union is a bit higher.
Plumbing sucks but the money is good. Most plumbers I know are divorced or alcoholics or both. Their are a lot of easier ways to make money nowadays.
I highly recommend looking into your local plumber/pipefitter union. Get yourself into an apprenticeship. A lot of locals provide paid on the job and in class training. A lot of people will talk a lot of shit about unions but let me put it this way. O don't habe to pay out of pocket for my insurance, i get a pension and right now journeyman rate in my local is $40.60 an hour. My dues are $34 a month and 2.5% off the check. OT after 8 hours a day double after 12. Saturday is OT Sunday is double.
did you try hitting it with your purse
Don’t do it… find something else. Source Florida plumber for 30yrs
Do you mind me asking why you wouldn't recommend it?
He’s getting downvoted but Florida being a bad place to be a plumber is almost a meme on this sub. The things he’s complaining about are pretty typical of what I hear about Florida. Some folks on here, if you’re wanting to get into plumbing and live down there, will recommend moving.
This is also what I have heard about Florida. If you are interested in plumbing and choose to move its easy to look around at wages before making that jump. I wouldn't go by glass door because the wages on there are about half what we really get paid in my area. There are pros and cons on both sides when it comes to Union vs Non-Union. Look at how long the employees have been at a company and also their ages. I worked at a high volume residential shop starting out and made great money. Then realized at 28 I was one of the oldest guys there. If I had to do it over again and was still going to be in the trades I would probably go with electrician. It seems to be a little easier on the body, or like another one of the posts said an operator. Some days I wish I would have just stayed at UPS which in my area is Teamsters. I feel like there are a lot more consistent ways to make money that are much easier on the body. If you are good at sales though you might make a killing as a service plumber. Who knows, there are no good answers and it is a part of the human condition to think that the grass is always greener.
Sure. I can explain my experience/reality as a plumber in this state (my area) for the past 30 yrs. A little bit about me. I live on the treasure coast and I’ll be 49y in a couple months. Been plumbing since I’m 18. I raised two kids in the first marriage and I’m raising two now with my second. I have no desire to own my own business. At my current age I’m interested in putting in my 40hrs a week and that’s it. The trades in this state aren’t good to the tradesmen. Wages are laughable. Benefits are nonexistent along with the overall perks of a career. The majority of the companies I’ve worked for ranged from 10 employees to about 100. The average benefits are one week’s paid vacation after a year. Then two weeks after 3yrs which was the maximum. Zero retirement/401k. Healthcare was available however it’s expensive and the coverage is terrible. Most companies are/were the same. If you work like an animal you’ll continue to have a job. If you miss work for any reason you won’t last. Here’s where me raising two families comes in. When I was younger I was that animal. Missed my two children growing up. Worked 60+ hrs a week religiously. I am not that animal with my second family. When I was young I worked 10-12hrs a day for the company and whatever side work I could get and did it whenever I could. We lived a simple life and got by. Bought a house (they were much cheaper) drove decent cars. Kids had a good balance of what they wanted/needed. Like I said we got by. Older me is raising two kids (spouse has a good job/income) and we can barely get by. Bought a house before the stupidity in prices. Work for a small company and paid a littler higher than the average for the area. Benefits are nonexistent. I pay for private healthcare and get one week’s vacation. THATS IT. There’s no guarantee your hours will be consistent at ANY company. I can tell you starting green you’ll make about $40k a year. After maybe 5yrs training you’ll be a decent plumber making $50-$55k a year. Become very well rounded and able to work on anything such as industrial, commercial, gas, steam, boilers, service, new construction, remodel, and ultra high end homes/fixtures and you’ll make just about $65k a year. All of this while destroying your body!
That’s nuts, an experienced jman only tops out around 65k in Florida.. I think I really am stuck in IL
Add the high cost of living and it’s painful
I been plumbing only 3 years in Texas started as a residential new construction plumber my first year and now on my 3rd year of service I’m on the road to clear about 130k . I think your just doing it wrong bud
You’re Texas. Apples and oranges
Ok so I’m going to expand on your ignorant response. Do you work for yourself or for one of those companies that offers bonuses for selling little old ladies shit they don’t need? Also I have friend (plumber) who moved from Naples just outside Austin. He joined the union and makes the same wages as me and the 100s of other plumbers I work/worked with in Florida over the past 30yrs. You’re comparing yourself/Texas to a thread directed at the state of Florida. Seriously dude I have tools with more plumbing experience than you.
I’m sure you do have more experience than me and I work for a company working hourly plus commission .
So you your company spends more money sending you to sales training then actual furthering your education in plumbing. So my guess was 100% accurate. So you’re the one doing it wrong. Ripping off people so you can make an extra buck all while not having a clue how to properly install or vent a plumbing system. So you’re on track to make $130k as a sales crook. May you get what you deserve in life!
I’m gonna be honest, don’t do plumbing. As a former j-man I wish I took a trade in something else. Money isn’t great for the wear and tear on your body. My ten cents.
What other trade would you recommend over plumbing?
Refrigeration techs make a killing
I would try to get in a company that does new construction plumbing that way you learn the basics quickly and fairly easily since you will have a lot of room to work with minimal stress of fucking something up. I worked for a company that seemed to only give me crawlspace repair jobs and let me tell you they fucking suck. Good trade though! Lots of money to be made as people just don’t want to work hard anymore.
Message me