A Pipeline to Your Future:
College Programs in Plumbing Technology
by Elizabeth Buckner
Did you know that plumbers are among the highest paid of the construction professions? Not only that, but the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts there will be a huge demand for plumbers in the next decade. This makes now the perfect time to invest in a college program in plumbing or plumbing technology!
The Plumbing Profession
While most of us are familiar with the job of plumbers who come repair home toilets, plumbers also serve a range of related water supply services such as installing, maintaining and repairing different types of piping systems.
One of the Best Paid Professions In Construction! Median Earnings and Job Outlook for Plumbers
Plumbers are among the highest paid construction occupations. The median annual wage of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters was $46,660 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,580, and the top 10 percent earned more than $79,920.
The starting pay for apprentices usually is between 30 percent and 50 percent of the rate paid to fully trained plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters. They receive pay increases as they become more skilled.
Moreover, job opportunities are expected to be excellent, as demand for trained plumbers is expected to exceed supply.
Get the Training You Need: College Programs in Plumbing Technology
While some plumbers still learn the trade on
the job, a college program or an apprenticeship program in plumbing or plumbing technology offers the best training for a career as a plumber. A college
apprenticeship program entails both classroom instruction and four or five years of on-the-job training. College program coursework should include
blueprint reading, applied physics and mathematics and local plumbing regulations.
So what are you waiting for? A college program in plumbing and plumbing technology could be the pipeline to your future in this well-paying trade!
