Commercial plumber vs drain technician

The differences between commercial plumbers and drain technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a commercial plumber and a drain technician. Additionally, a drain technician has an average salary of $59,122, which is higher than the $54,423 average annual salary of a commercial plumber.

The top three skills for a commercial plumber include plumbing, PVC and cast iron. The most important skills for a drain technician are plumbing, sewer lines, and CDL.

Commercial plumber vs drain technician overview

	Commercial Plumber	Drain Technician
Yearly salary	$54,423	$59,122
Hourly rate	$26.16	$28.42
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	34,990	25,624
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Commercial plumber vs drain technician salary

Commercial plumbers and drain technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Commercial Plumber	Drain Technician
Average salary	$54,423	$59,122
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $82,000	Between $38,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City	Baton Rouge, LA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	California
Best paying company	Stanley Furniture	American Residential Services
Best paying industry	Insurance	-

Differences between commercial plumber and drain technician education

There are a few differences between a commercial plumber and a drain technician in terms of educational background:

	Commercial Plumber	Drain Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Commercial plumber vs drain technician demographics

Here are the differences between commercial plumbers' and drain technicians' demographics:

	Commercial Plumber	Drain Technician
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 97.6% Female, 2.4%	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 1.9% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between commercial plumber and drain technician duties and responsibilities

Commercial plumber example responsibilities.

Train and manage less experience plumbers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Pipe fitting, soldering, brazing
Install copper and PVC piping and setting fixtures.
Purchase materials, work with HVAC and carpenters.
Involve cutting, threading, fit pipes, valves, and caulking.
Set rooftop units for HVAC, run refrigeration as well as med gas lines

Drain technician example responsibilities.

Used various equipment and tools to unclog drains, camera pipes, install urinals and toilets.
Inspect manholes to locate sewer line stoppages.
Perform trench work, laying pipe, building underground manholes.
Assemble many pieces for custom bags and cushions utilizing good body mechanics.
Install pvc pipe, copper lines and flexible hose for residential water systems.
Remove and replace broken tile section or pipe, using caulking compound and cement to form watertight joint.

Commercial plumber vs drain technician skills

Common commercial plumber skills

Plumbing, 27%
PVC, 22%
Cast Iron, 21%
Building Codes, 3%
Drainage Systems, 3%
Troubleshoot, 2%

Common drain technician skills

Plumbing, 52%
Sewer Lines, 11%
CDL, 9%
Commercial Buildings, 7%
Customer Service, 4%
Water Heaters, 2%