Drain cleaner, plumber vs journeyman plumber

The differences between drain cleaners, plumber and journeyman plumbers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a drain cleaner, plumber and a journeyman plumber. Additionally, a drain cleaner, plumber has an average salary of $55,318, which is higher than the $54,678 average annual salary of a journeyman plumber.

The top three skills for a drain cleaner, plumber include plumbing, and . The most important skills for a journeyman plumber are plumbing, hand tools, and work ethic.

Drain cleaner, plumber vs journeyman plumber overview

	Drain Cleaner, Plumber	Journeyman Plumber
Yearly salary	$55,318	$54,678
Hourly rate	$26.60	$26.29
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	42,513	10,869
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Drain cleaner, plumber vs journeyman plumber salary

Drain cleaners, plumber and journeyman plumbers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Drain Cleaner, Plumber	Journeyman Plumber
Average salary	$55,318	$54,678
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $75,000	Between $36,000 And $81,000
Highest paying City	-	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Constellation Energy Partners
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between drain cleaner, plumber and journeyman plumber education

There are a few differences between a drain cleaner, plumber and a journeyman plumber in terms of educational background:

	Drain Cleaner, Plumber	Journeyman Plumber
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	Business
Most common college	-	-

Drain cleaner, plumber vs journeyman plumber demographics

Here are the differences between drain cleaners, plumber' and journeyman plumbers' demographics:

	Drain Cleaner, Plumber	Journeyman Plumber
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 99.2% Female, 0.8%	Male, 97.1% Female, 2.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.0% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 1.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between drain cleaner, plumber and journeyman plumber duties and responsibilities

Drain cleaner, plumber example responsibilities.

Manage troubleshooting, pump repair, converters, brazing, and soldering.
Repair and maintain plumbing by replacing washers in leaky faucets, mending burst pipes and opening clog drains.
Check plumbing systems for leakage; install water lines, water heater, septic systems and all plumbing relate issues.
Service department manager who coordinate estimates and train apprentice plumbers.
Specialize in new residential construction for local contractors from rough-in through final inspection.

Journeyman plumber example responsibilities.

Train and manage less experience plumbers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Operate equipment such as cutting torches, threading machines, grinder, soldering and brazing.
Install and join copper, PVC, black iron and cast iron pipe and fittings below grind and above grind.
Work on sanitary sewer, rain leaders, and condensate lines using cast iron, PVC, and copper pipe.
Replace plumbing fixtures, water heaters, gas and electric, filtration systems, dishwashers, and service piping to structures.
Perform complete plumbing installations from rough-in to finishing according to Minnesota codes.

Drain cleaner, plumber vs journeyman plumber skills

Common drain cleaner, plumber skills

Plumbing, 100%

Common journeyman plumber skills

Plumbing, 20%
Hand Tools, 19%
Work Ethic, 12%
Drainage Systems, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Pipe Fittings, 4%

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Drain Cleaner, Plumber vs Journeyman Plumber

Updated January 8, 2025

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