Plumbing

Types of Degrees Plumbing Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many plumbing & water supply graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	1,746
Basic Certificate	909
Associate Degree	233

What Plumbing Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to plumbing and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Plumbing Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in plumbing should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Plumbing Majors

plumbing majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities for Plumbing Majors

A major in plumbing will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

What Can You Do With a Plumbing Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with plumbing:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas	25.2%	$46,120
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas	19.9%	$44,430
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters	7.9%	$49,860
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	12.6%	$65,230
Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters	15.6%	$53,910
Plumbers	15.6%	$53,910
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas	24.6%	$53,800
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners	17.2%	$38,970
Solar Energy Installation Managers	12.6%	$65,230

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Plumbing?

Plumbing & Water Supply runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #41 out of all the trade school majors we track. In 2021, about 243 graduates completed their associate’s degree in this field. This major attracts more men than women. About 98% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of plumbing majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	3
Black or African American	11
Hispanic or Latino	17
White	185
International Students	1
Other Races/Ethnicities	16

How Much Do Plumbing Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $47,570 to $58,150 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to plumbing. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Plumbing

Some careers associated with plumbing require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for plumbing careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	19.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	38.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	27.1%
Some College Courses	11.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	1.4%
Master’s Degree	0.4%

Online Plumbing Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	122	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	23	0
Associate’s Degree	52	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Plumbing Worth It?

The median salary for a plumbing grad is $52,780 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 32% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $257,600 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Plumbing

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to plumbing.

Major	Number of Grads
Electrical & Power Transmission Installers	26,459
Building Management & Inspection	5,269
Carpentry	3,899
Construction	1,813
Masonry	284
Other Construction	190

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Tomwsulcer under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.