If you enjoy working with your hands and are looking for a new career, why not consider plumbing? Right now, it’s a fantastic time to jump into the industry for many reasons. If you are thinking of trying something new or if you previously thought of becoming a plumber, read ahead in this article for five reasons why this might be a great future for you.
Job Opportunities
When most people think of a plumber, they probably imagine a job where you just get called out to people’s homes to deal with plumbing issues. While that is certainly one aspect of the job, there’s actually a lot more opportunities than that.
The kind of plumber that you contact to deal with problems in your house is a residential plumber. Past that, there are also commercial plumbers that work on a much larger scale. They deal with maintaining or repairing piping systems that run through much larger buildings. There are also professionals that are trained to deal with a specific type of plumping like sanitary plumbers or water supply plumbers.
It’s important to make these distinctions because all of them can be very different. Once you understand the nuances of each one, you can figure out which of those positions can best fit your lifestyle.
Reasons Why Plumbing Could Be for You
Now that you are aware of the different careers that are available, it’s time to look at five huge benefits that come with becoming a plumber:
1) Job Security
In this day and age, something people worry about is more and more jobs becoming lost to automation or artificial intelligence. Until they come up with a wrench that can automatically fix your sink for you, that’s not something plumbers have to worry about. Plumbing problems are going to occur no matter what else is happening in the world, so there are always opportunities to work.
Another aspect of plumbing is it often has to get done as soon as possible. That means people will want a plumber to come immediately to fix the problem. Because of this, this is a job that you can’t feasibly outsource in the traditional sense. While the pipes and tools can come from other countries, you still need manpower to install and/or maintain everything in person. That means there’s no opportunity for a multinational company to swoop in and replace the entire workforce.
2) Plenty of Work
This point somewhat ties into the previous one, but there is always a steady supply of work to be done. It is estimated that there will be about a 5% increase in plumbing jobs over the next decade, which means vacancies that have to be filled. If you are having trouble finding work in your current profession, this is something that you will want to think about.
3) Good Salary
It is estimated that the median salary for plumbers is around $60,000. This is above the national average, which tends to sit around $55,000. Not only that, but the variance in pay can be pretty wide depending on where you live. According to a 2021 survey, the average salary for a plumber in Illinois was around $95,000, while the average in Arizona was $48,000. If you have the ability to move for work, you may want to do some research to see where you will end up getting paid the most.
4) Job Choices
There is enough variety within the industry that you have a few different options, which have already been touched on above. If you pride yourself on your people skills and like interacting with customers, you’ll probably want to go a more traditional route. If you’d rather maintain a much larger area by yourself most of the time, becoming an industrial plumber may be your speed. The important thing is to weigh all your options ahead of time so you can make an informed decision.
5) Get Out of The Office
While this might not be for everyone, the ability to escape a 9-to-5 inside a small cubicle can be enticing. Because plumbers mostly work on site, those who like to be more mobile will really enjoy this aspect of the job.
Conclusion
Like with most things, it’s important to do your own research to see if being a plumber is ideal for you. There are definitely benefits to choosing this as a career, which can translate to leading a better life. Once you have found the perfect fit, you can start on your future in plumbing.
