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Plumbing

Types of Degrees Plumbing Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Plumbing have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,547
Associate’s Degree	116
Master’s Degree	1,094

What Plumbing Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Mechanical — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Building and Construction — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Plumbing program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Plumbing careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Plumbing graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Plumbing professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Work scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Intuit QuickBooks	Accounting software	—
Cost estimating software	Project management software	—
Salesforce software	Customer relationship management CRM software	—
Inventory tracking software	Inventory management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Plumbing graduates include:

• Drain Cleaner
• Drain Technician
• Sewage Screen Operator
• Sewer Pipe Cleaner
• Sewer and Drain Technician
• Septic Technician
• Public Works Technician
• Service Technician
• Sewer Cleaner
• Electric Sewer Cleaning Machine Operator
• Stormwater Technician
• Septic Cleaner
• Priming Machine Operator
• Reach Operator
• Sewer Line Repairer

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	37.8%
Postsecondary certificate	21.3%
Less than a high school diploma	17.7%
Some college courses	9.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.0%
Bachelor’s degree	5.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Plumbing?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 93.5% of Plumbing degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	182	6.5%
Men	2,598	93.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,197	43.1%
Asian	56	2.0%
Hispanic or Latino	843	30.3%
Black or African American	372	13.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	23	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	9	0.3%
Two or More Races	55	2.0%
Race Unknown	211	7.6%
International Students	14	0.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Plumbing Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Plumbing graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 Plumbing Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Plumbing 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 and Related Water Supply Services, Other	46.0599
Well Drilling/Driller	46.0504
Building Construction Technology/Technician	46.0415
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager	46.0412
Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector	46.0403
Building/Property Maintenance	46.0401
Carpentry/Carpenter	46.0201
Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker	46.0413
Concrete Finishing/Concrete Finisher	46.0402

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.