What is a Plumbing Mechanic?
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a plumbing mechanic. For example, did you know that they make an average of $24.68 an hour? That's $51,334 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 14% and produce 68,200 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Plumbing Mechanic Do
There are certain skills that many plumbing mechanics have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, dexterity and mechanical skills.
How To Become a Plumbing Mechanic
If you're interested in becoming a plumbing mechanic, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 10.8% of plumbing mechanics have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 3.6% of plumbing mechanics have master's degrees. Even though some plumbing mechanics have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Plumbing Mechanic Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a plumbing mechanic can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as plumber helper, progress to a title such as journeyman plumber and then eventually end up with the title superintendent.
Average Salary for a Plumbing Mechanic
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Plumbing Mechanic
The role of a plumbing mechanic includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general plumbing mechanic responsibilities:
- Assemble, install, maintain and pressure test all pipes, fittings
- Measuring, cutting, threading and assembling new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports learning to comprehend schematic diagrams, blueprints
- In addition to plumbing and mechanical i duties, the successful candidate will demonstrate skill
There are several types of plumbing mechanic, including:
Mechanic
Role:
These are the people you run to when what your dad said would fix the light that came on in your car didn't actually work. There's a reason they're called mechanics.
Mechanics get down and dirty when it comes to repairing, inspecting and maintaining cars. While they generally work in well-ventilated repair shops, they usually come home with at least a little grease on their hands.
They don't just let anybody become a mechanic (we're looking at you, dad). Most mechanics complete a program at a postsecondary institution and become industry certified before they're qualified to work on your car. That way you know your car is literally in good hands.
- Average Salary: $47,149
- Degree: High School Diploma
Plumber
Role:
Plumbers are also known as pipefitters or steamfitters. They install and repair pipes carrying either liquids or gases in residential or commercial properties. As a plumber, you will also install domestic appliances that have to do with cooling, heating, etc. Also, you are to handle queries from clients and respond to call-outs. In addition, troubleshooting and resolving problems is also one of your responsibilities.
Put differently, you are responsible for fixing leaks, damages, and any other problems homeowners might encounter with their pipes, heating, and cooling system. Apart from this, you need to prepare cost estimates and come to an agreement with homeowners on the cost. Plus, you must determine the best working practices to reduce costs. However, most plumbers tend to learn the job through being an apprentice. Some, however, attend technical school. A high school diploma is usually required for this position. A plumber makes about $56,696 on average annually.
- Average Salary: $55,337
- Degree: High School Diploma
Plumber Helper
Role:
When there are leaks in the pipes of your homes, who do you call? When your sink or your toilet is not working, who is the first professional that comes to your mind to fix this? Both questions have only one answer: the plumber. Plumbers are important contributors to home improvement and repair. But we should also acknowledge the assistance they get from their plumber helpers.
Plumber helpers are, as one may infer, people who work under plumbers. They assist plumbers in their daily activities. They join their superiors to homes or offices that need fixing. They assist in the installation, maintenance, and repair of anything related to the plumbing system. Sometimes, plumber helpers are also plumbers-in-training. They do this job to be more exposed to what it will be like to be a plumber.
If you are interested in the plumbing business and you enjoy fixing things, being a plumber helper will help you get a job that will match your interests. In this role, you need to be dependable and to be open to learning.
- Average Salary: $43,893
- Degree: High School Diploma
States With The Most Plumbing Mechanic Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active plumbing mechanic jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where plumbing mechanics earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Number Of Plumbing Mechanic Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 1,572 | $46,273 |
| 2 | California | 1,420 | $62,459 |
| 3 | Florida | 1,218 | $44,804 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 889 | $42,034 |
| 5 | New York | 735 | $59,746 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 732 | $36,334 |
| 7 | Georgia | 719 | $48,520 |
| 8 | Ohio | 682 | $49,849 |
| 9 | Virginia | 652 | $46,439 |
| 10 | Illinois | 643 | $50,262 |
| 11 | Indiana | 543 | $43,714 |
| 12 | Iowa | 515 | $46,744 |
| 13 | Maryland | 501 | $46,825 |
| 14 | Tennessee | 478 | $43,995 |
| 15 | Washington | 459 | $55,328 |
| 16 | Arizona | 448 | $50,076 |
| 17 | Minnesota | 434 | $53,759 |
| 18 | South Carolina | 433 | $41,534 |
| 19 | Colorado | 408 | $51,478 |
| 20 | Michigan | 406 | $52,805 |
| 21 | Alabama | 403 | $38,401 |
| 22 | New Jersey | 375 | $66,611 |
| 23 | Louisiana | 371 | $52,491 |
| 24 | Missouri | 356 | $47,696 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | 350 | $52,425 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | 326 | $66,410 |
| 27 | Kentucky | 295 | $44,613 |
| 28 | Utah | 287 | $48,294 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | 279 | $47,100 |
| 30 | Mississippi | 249 | $42,418 |
| 31 | Oregon | 245 | $71,093 |
| 32 | Nebraska | 208 | $50,843 |
| 33 | Kansas | 205 | $47,665 |
| 34 | Nevada | 194 | $61,699 |
| 35 | New Mexico | 189 | $39,408 |
| 36 | Arkansas | 175 | $35,505 |
| 37 | Connecticut | 171 | $65,318 |
| 38 | Montana | 158 | $44,171 |
| 39 | Idaho | 141 | $43,266 |
| 40 | West Virginia | 133 | $41,677 |
| 41 | Delaware | 114 | $58,130 |
| 42 | North Dakota | 109 | $49,941 |
| 43 | South Dakota | 109 | $37,644 |
| 44 | Alaska | 101 | $53,989 |
| 45 | Maine | 101 | $51,492 |
| 46 | Wyoming | 80 | $47,945 |
| 47 | New Hampshire | 74 | $49,529 |
| 48 | Vermont | 73 | $64,397 |
| 49 | Hawaii | 67 | $77,785 |
| 50 | Rhode Island | 58 | $56,026 |
Top Skills For a Plumbing Mechanic
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 26.3% of plumbing mechanics listed plumbing on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and dexterity are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Plumbing Mechanic Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Plumbing Mechanic templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Plumbing Mechanic resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Plumbing Mechanic diversity
Plumbing Mechanic Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among plumbing mechanics, 2.0% of them are women, while 98.0% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among plumbing mechanics is White, which makes up 64.5% of all plumbing mechanics.
- The most common foreign language among plumbing mechanics is Spanish at 61.5%.
Online Courses For Plumbing Mechanic That You May Like
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In recent decades, international law has undergone a series of major developments in order to accommodate the many new facets of freshwater management and protection. The adoption of universal, regional and basin instruments highlights how important it is to study the evolution of international water regulations and to be able to identify the main principles in this field. This course aims to provide the necessary background to understand and examine the regulation applicable to transboundary...
2. Water Resources Management and Policy
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Best States For a Plumbing Mechanic
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a plumbing mechanic. The best states for people in this position are Hawaii, Oregon, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Plumbing mechanics make the most in Hawaii with an average salary of $77,785. Whereas in Oregon and New Jersey, they would average $71,093 and $66,611, respectively. While plumbing mechanics would only make an average of $66,410 in Massachusetts, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Vermont
$64,397
Avg. Salary
2. Nevada
$61,699
Avg. Salary
3. Hawaii
$77,785
Avg. Salary
How Do Plumbing Mechanics Rate Their Jobs?
Top Plumbing Mechanic Employers
Most Common Employers For Plumbing Mechanic
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hess | $79,450 | $38.20 | 5 |
| 2 | Horizon Services | $67,655 | $32.53 | 3 |
| 3 | Worth & Company | $52,657 | $25.32 | 3 |
| 4 | Demar | $52,058 | $25.03 | 5 |
| 5 | St Joseph's Hospital | $52,045 | $25.02 | 2 |
| 6 | Atlantic Constructors | $52,023 | $25.01 | 3 |
| 7 | Michael & Son Services | $52,021 | $25.01 | 3 |
| 8 | Bell Incorporated | $51,988 | $24.99 | 2 |
| 9 | Forward | $51,784 | $24.90 | 3 |
| 10 | Tradesmen International | $51,542 | $24.78 | 3 |