Plumbers, pipe layers, steamfitters and pipe lifters are the different categories in this trade. Their job is to maintain, install and repair different kinds of pipe systems. These systems move water into a municipal treatment place and then to commercial, residential and public buildings. Other systems dispose waste, provide for cooling and heating needs or provide gas to furnaces and stoves.

Sometimes plumbing, pipe laying, steam fitting and pipefitting are considered to be the same trade; however, specialization in one of the five areas is the trend.

Pipe layers lay clay, plastic, concrete or cast-iron pipes for sewers, drains, water mains and gas or oil lines.

Plumbers set up and repair the gas systems and the drainage in commercial, industrial and residential buildings.

Pipefitters set up and repair high- and low-pressure pipe systems and the cooling and heating systems of buildings. Installing automatic controls to regulate such systems also falls under their scope of work.

Steamfitters fit pipe systems that move about gases or liquids under high pressure and sprinkler fitters set up automatic fire sprinkler systems.

Work Environment

Per week 40 hours of work is the general time spent by professionals in this field. Those who maintain pipe systems have to work on weekends or evenings if a need arises. The job involves travelling from one site to another.

Education Requirements

Community colleges or technical and career schools offer courses for training plumbers. It is possible to learn plumbing repair online through an online career training school.  These online plumbing training courses offer many unique and interactive methods to help the student learn the trade.  Many plumbers start out with on the job training, but formal education of some type is helpful.  Most communities require aspiring candidates to pass a general exam that tests their knowledge of the trade. Licenses are handed out to those who pass such an exam.

Job Outlook and Salary Expectations

There is a great demand for plumbers, pipe layers and other workers related to this profession. Growth is considered to be at par with other careers. New construction and expansion of buildings ensure opportunities for those who are qualified.

Salary starts as low as less than $11.62/hr and goes up as high as more than $33.72/hr

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.

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