Plumbing Technician Salary Overview

If you are interested in moving your career trajectory in a new direction, you have a lot of options in the field of trades, specifically in plumbing. As a plumbing technician, you will learn the ins and outs of everything involved in the world of plumbing while working in a field that is always in demand.

Now that you are ready to learn more about what a plumbing technician salary entails and how to kick-start your career as a plumbing technician, continue reading. 

What Is A Plumbing Technician?

Before diving in further, it is important to understand what a plumbing technician is and what skills to have as a plumbing technician. Plumbing technicians work in the trades to ensure access to clean water throughout the expanse of the country and provide streamlined pathways for related waste removal. They possess a vital skill set to serve private citizens, businesses, and government entities with functional plumbing systems.

Plumbing technicians are trained to install and service plumbing systems that work using the latest technology and best practices available. These skilled service providers offer a safeguard to prevent damage and loss from a wide range of water-related concerns, such as plumbing leaks, back-ups, pipe bursts, dripping faucets, worn plumbing infrastructure, and access to clean water via clean and compliant pipe materials while keeping everything within code.  

What Is A Plumber Technician Salary?

First of all, it is important to note that a plumber technician’s salary is not a one-size-fits-all piece of information. It can vary widely depending on the location, the years of training, and the title. Here are a few of the differences that can impact salary.

• Location – Where you choose to live will likely have an impact on the salary you can earn. While factors such as inflation can drive changes in the amount of a plumbing technician’s salary, location is a bigger aspect that you should take into account when you are choosing where to live and work.  

The national average for plumbing technicians is $63,215, or $30.39 per hour with the low end of the range at $29,500 and the high end at $100,000 per year. Of course, this can vary, so it is always in your best interest to do your due diligence whenever looking for a plumbing position.

Finally, when it comes to location, you should research the overall cost of living to determine how that might affect your take-home pay, even in areas with higher earnings. This research should include the cost of housing, transportation, utilities, food, education, and healthcare.

• Years of Training – Experience level can also make a difference in a plumbing service technician salary. Here are three commonplace categories of time on the job.
• Entry-Level – After training is complete, everyone will start off at an entry-level which generally falls between zero and two years of training. This is the time when skills are honed under the guidance of a master plumber or plumbing technician. 
• Mid-Level – A mid-level plumbing technician usually falls within the range of three to six years of job experience. This is a time when skills have been honed, and they may be in a position to train and mentor entry-level plumbing technicians while still learning from those possessing more experience.
• Senior-Level – A senior-level plumbing technician generally has seven to 12 years or more of skilled training. They are in a place where they can move on to a master role and take on more experienced levels of service while training those in the lower levels.
• Title – As time passes and plumbing technicians are able to qualify for specialized certifications, salary can be affected positively. Here are three of the main certifications plumbers may obtain. Of note, these titles often go hand-in-hand with the above-mentioned years in training. In addition, these certifications and titles are verified by each state to ensure compliance with the governing local laws and standards.
• Apprentice – An apprentice plumber is at the beginning of their respective career and at the inception of their learning about the trade. Apprentices will always work with those who have more experience in the field and with compliance codes so as to have continued oversight and training while still providing a service.
• Journeyman – A plumbing Journeyman has at least four years of experience in the field in conjunction with 7,600 hours working directly with a licensed Master Plumber. 
• Master’s-Level – A Master Plumber Certificate is only earned by and awarded to those who have achieved the highest skill set in the field of plumbing. They have gained an increased level of plumbing mastery through continued work and training experiences over the years while adhering to the local codes and craft. This is the highest paid level in the plumbing industry.
• Overtime – As many consumers of plumbing services can attest to, so often plumbing issues do not occur on a convenient schedule during routine work hours. As such, since many plumbing problems are emergent and need to be addressed immediately in order for homes to have usable toilets, clean water, and functioning hot water heaters, among other things, or for businesses to avoid water damage from unfortunate leaks, for example, plumbing technicians must be available after routine business hours.

What this essentially means is that there will always be an opportunity to increase pay by working outside of normal business hours in an overtime capacity. Of course, any employer will set standard overtime pay, but it is a routine in the skilled trades for on-call workers to receive overtime pay during these hours in addition to recognized holidays.

Contact the Professionals at National Technical Institute, NTI Training Today.

If you are ready to put yourself on the track to success, contact National Technical Institute, NTI Training today. At NTI, our experienced staff are here to effectively train you on how to become a plumbing technician. We will do our best so you can do yours every time. Reach out to our helpful team to discuss your training options and course availability. We know how to help you achieve your dreams and look forward to hearing from you.