Plumber assistant vs journeyman plumber

The differences between plumber assistants 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 plumber assistant and a journeyman plumber. Additionally, a journeyman plumber has an average salary of $54,678, which is higher than the $54,639 average annual salary of a plumber assistant.

The top three skills for a plumber assistant include plumbing, hot water heaters and sewer lines. The most important skills for a journeyman plumber are plumbing, hand tools, and work ethic.

Plumber assistant vs journeyman plumber overview

	Plumber Assistant	Journeyman Plumber
Yearly salary	$54,639	$54,678
Hourly rate	$26.27	$26.29
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	12,671	10,869
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Plumber assistant vs journeyman plumber salary

Plumber assistants and journeyman plumbers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plumber Assistant	Journeyman Plumber
Average salary	$54,639	$54,678
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $82,000	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 plumber assistant and journeyman plumber education

There are a few differences between a plumber assistant and a journeyman plumber in terms of educational background:

	Plumber Assistant	Journeyman Plumber
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Plumber assistant vs journeyman plumber demographics

Here are the differences between plumber assistants' and journeyman plumbers' demographics:

	Plumber Assistant	Journeyman Plumber
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%	Male, 97.1% Female, 2.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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 plumber assistant and journeyman plumber duties and responsibilities

Plumber assistant example responsibilities.

Manage troubleshooting, pump repair, converters, brazing, and soldering.
Check pipes and plumbing fixtures using pressure gauges for leaks utilize plastic solvents caulk solder brazing and welding
Repair and install plumbing fixtures like hot water tanks, water heaters, dishwashers, garbage disposals, sinks etc.
Assist with various plumbing issues which include slab leaks, replacing water heaters, dishwashers, stoppages, and many more.
Used new PEX piping whenever possible.
Convert water lines from copper to PEX pipe for main supply lines to toilets, bathtubs and sinks.

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.

Plumber assistant vs journeyman plumber skills

Common plumber assistant skills

Plumbing, 19%
Hot Water Heaters, 10%
Sewer Lines, 10%
PVC, 8%
Caulking, 4%
Brazing, 3%

Common journeyman plumber skills

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