Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between plumbers 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 and a journeyman plumber. Additionally, a plumber has an average salary of $55,337, which is higher than the $54,678 average annual salary of a journeyman plumber.
The top three skills for a plumber include plumbing, hand tools and plumbers. The most important skills for a journeyman plumber are plumbing, hand tools, and work ethic.
| Plumber | Journeyman Plumber | |
| Yearly salary | $55,337 | $54,678 |
| Hourly rate | $26.60 | $26.29 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 12,307 | 10,869 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 53% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Plumbers specialize in assembling, detecting issues, maintaining, and repairing pipes and systems that can either involve water or gas distribution in a home or establishment, ensuring that they function efficiently. Additionally, Plumbers can also install various materials such as kitchen or bathroom sinks, toilets, appliances, and more. Among the tasks may revolve around training other plumbers or coordinating with other workers involved on a project, clearing obstructions and handling waste disposal, informing clients about the costs and process of repairs, and building rapport with them.
A journeyman plumber is responsible for conducting basic plumbing tasks, such as installing and repairing plumbing lines under the supervision of a head plumber. Journeyman plumbers connect pipes and ensure the stability of plumbing lines to avoid potential hazards and possible defects. They handle the maintenance and replacement of fixtures and identify the source of failure to adjust pressure and seal connections as needed. A journeyman plumber must be able to detect irregularities immediately and provide estimate costing to the customers for repairs.
Plumbers and journeyman plumbers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plumber | Journeyman Plumber | |
| Average salary | $55,337 | $54,678 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $84,000 | Between $36,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Portland, OR |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Kern Community College District | Constellation Energy Partners |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Construction |
There are a few differences between a plumber and a journeyman plumber in terms of educational background:
| Plumber | Journeyman Plumber | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 53% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between plumbers' and journeyman plumbers' demographics:
| Plumber | Journeyman Plumber | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5% | Male, 97.1% Female, 2.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 1.9% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |