Install and repair the pipes, fixtures, and appliances that carry water, gas, and waste through buildings.
Homes, businesses, and construction sites; cramped spaces and outdoors.
Full-time; on-call nights and weekends for emergencies are common.
May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
High school / no degree
Training path: 4–5 year paid apprenticeship.
Most states require a license, earned by exam after an apprenticeship.
You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.
Licensed trades can't be outsourced or automated — steady work everywhere.
Run the Reality Check — build the life you want and see the salary it takes, then compare it to this one.
Browse verified internships, fellowships, and programs — many paid — that lead into fields like this.
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Standard Occupational Classification 47-2152. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.