---

Other Plumbing & Water Supply

Types of Degrees Other Plumbing & Water Supply Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Other Plumbing & Water Supply can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	71

What Other Plumbing & Water Supply Majors Need to Know

Studies in Other Plumbing & Water Supply develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Plumbing & Water Supply graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Other Plumbing & Water Supply emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Building and Construction — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Other Plumbing & Water Supply program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Installation — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Troubleshooting — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Other Plumbing & Water Supply careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Finger Dexterity — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Extent Flexibility — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Plumbing & Water Supply graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.7 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.7 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.7 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.7 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Plumbing & Water Supply professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Salesforce software	Customer relationship management CRM software	—
Project management software	Project management software	—
Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA	Development environment software	—
Inventory control system software	Inventory management software	—
Cost estimating software	Project management software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Dassault Systemes CATIA	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Plumbing & Water Supply graduates include:

• Solar Water Heater Installer
• Solar Installer
• Solar Maintenance Technician
• Thermal Operator
• Installer
• Thermal Systems Technician
• Solar Installation Technician
• Solar Energy Technician
• Solar Thermal Technician
• Solar Insulation Technician
• Solar Pool Heating Installer
• Solar Hot Water Installer (SHW Installer)
• Heat Exchanger
• Solar Technician
• Solar Boilers Technician

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other Plumbing & Water Supply graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	39.2%
Postsecondary certificate	24.5%
Some college courses	15.3%
Bachelor’s degree	5.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	5.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.4%
Less than a high school diploma	3.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Plumbing & Water Supply?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 97.2% of Other Plumbing & Water Supply degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2	2.8%
Men	69	97.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Other Plumbing & Water Supply graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	14	19.7%
Hispanic or Latino	33	46.5%
Black or African American	4	5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	2.8%
Race Unknown	18	25.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Plumbing & Water Supply Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Other Plumbing & Water Supply graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,651
4 years	$39,033
5 years	$45,465

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $45,465 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Other Plumbing & Water Supply Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Other Plumbing & Water Supply graduates earn a median of $39,033 four years after completion — roughly 3% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services	46.05
Blasting/Blaster	46.0505
Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter	46.0502
Plumbing Technology/Plumber	46.0503
Well Drilling/Driller	46.0504

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.