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kenny b.
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MasterPlumbers
My 18y/o son is about to graduate from high school and a 2 yr vocational trade school. He wants to go into plumbing, has completed and internship with a local plumber and has been offered (and accepted) a job with this same plumber. What does he need to do now to complete his education in this field? His school is pretty vague on this and I want to help him make sure that he is following in the right steps for an apprenticeship and so on.
Any input from you would be greatly appreciated.
Terri
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Ideally your son should try to get into a United Association apprenticeship program AFTER High school Graduation.
When I went into the apprenticeship it was a 5 year on the job training with 144 hr. per year class room and theory training.
Every year the apprentice is tested on certain aspects of this profession and a final test is given after the 5 year period.
Upon successful completion the apprentice becomes a journeyman and is allowed to work under the direct employ of a master plumber.
NYC reduced the time from 10 years to 7 years before a candidate can take the 2 part master exam. This exam covers practical and code and lots of theory.
As a journeyman working in the employ of the UA a mechanic can make in the envelope well over $45 per HR not including fringe benefits.
Even a non union and half way decent mechanic can make over $30 per HR based on a 35 HR work week.
(Anything over 35 hours is normally double time).You only get out of plumbing is what you put into it. My top mechanic during the heating season working off hours gets paid $100 per HR or any part there of.
If your son does become a master plumber and does decide to go for the NYC license I know for a fact he can make over $2,900 PER DAY NET based on one master and helper working about 6 hours doing specialization work.
Most one man shops can make $250,000 only 40 weeks per year.
Plumbing is a wide open field with lots of specialization’s open including being an expert witness for law firms.
Some plumbers have no idea what a wrench even looks like as they are behind a desk all the time just doing estimating and CAD designs.
Fire suppression systems and piping is another field a lot of Master plumbers have a license for esides the back flow prevention lic.
Even a drain cleaning mechanic makes in excess of $75,000 without really hustling for hours. I have a master plumber who is on my plumbers discussion list who lives upstate NY and even near Utica he gets over $125 per HR (one man). If you E mail me ILL be more than happy to pass your sons name to David.
The key in this field in knowing that no matter how much you do learn YOU can never ever learn it all. As an apprentice we worked on glass piping systems we welded and lead burned and lead wiped and brazed and worked on acid waste etc.
I even worked on chill water systems to a laser beam, and all kinds of hospital “plumbing” there is no end to what direction a “plumber” could go in this profession. good luck
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Plumbing is a wide open field and one that you will never complete your education in, it is on going every day. A solid base is very important and will take him a long way. Another option would be college. N.Y.S. has two of the best. The State University of N.Y. at Delhi and Alfred. Both offer a program in plumbing, heating and pipefitting and will supply him with hands on training and theory that will be second to none.
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