Plumbing Apprentice?

[Shadow14]

I have been pushing a desk for 7 years now and am 27 with a wife and 2 kids and am having a midlife crisis of sorts. I had an opportunity to move to MT for another job but it looks like that will fall through. I have been talking about getting into a trade since I was 19 and never did it and am now almost 30 with responsibilities. I miss blue collar work and love the possibilities that a journeyman/master plumber can bring monetarily and job security wise. The ability to be my own boss one day and provide for my family on a single income and provide a steady job for other families in my community really interests me.



For those plumber’s out there that have gone through the process,

1. How hard is it to live on an apprentice income in this economy?
2. Would you recommend apprenticeship for a commercial, residential, mechanical, or industrial plumber first?
3. Would you recommend trying to get in with a union or finding a small non union shop?
4. Am I too old to start an apprenticeship?

I am in Georgia FYI as I know pay and the requirements vary greatly by state.

 

[Weldor]

Call the Local and see what their requirements are. Commercial and residential are the most popular. Unless you live in a area with alot of heavy industry you will have to travel for mechanical and industrial. Fitters and Boilermakers. It's a good Trade for sure.

 

[jags]

This is for in Georgia or are you still intending to move to MT?

Your current desk job, is it in the construction industry area or what is your construction knowledge level? Plumbing?

 

[Shadow14]

This is for in Georgia or are you still intending to move to MT?

Your current desk job, is it in the construction industry area or what is your construction knowledge level? Plumbing?

Sorry this is for Georgia.

My experience behind a desk is in logistics/supply chain. My dad did home remodels for years and i used to help him a bunch. I know my way around tools and can do basic construction work but have zero plumbing experience beyond fixing the sink and toilet every now and then.

 

[Rich M]

Anyway you can take a few classes? They used to have classes at local high school, community college, and town/county.

My dad was machinist, pipe welder, plumber, and who knows what else. I was dedicated apprentice helper whenever he did stuff outside of work. The hours spent just watching, handing tools, etc. taught me how to swet pipes, cut stuff to proper length, thread stuff, etc. He wanted me to go to college.

Used to help my electrician cousin too, would dig trenches, feed wires, clean up & make work areas look pretty.

Union shop was good to them. Diff union was good to someone else close. Union used to be good for blue collar folks, negotiations havent been as favorable lately in areas where union shop is offset by nonunion folks.

27 is a lil late but you will be more disciplined than the 18-19 yo guys and gals. Shouldnt set you back much. Nonidea what pays are.

Plumbing is good as long as folks drink water and poo.

 

[Jstumbaugh]

No one wants to repair anything on their own anymore. The trades are hot right now. Guys with any experience can write their own ticket in the northeast right now. My customer base will hire anyone willing to learn and show up everyday. I'm sure if you put the effort in you could make the jump.

 

[JGross1]

Skilled trades have never been hotter. Between the current work load and lack of young adults getting into trades, you could definitely punch your own ticket in whatever trade you choose. Just as @Jstumbaugh mentioned above, showing up with a good attitude and willingness to learn is 90% of the battle to most contractors. I will never understand why schools don't push trades more, but I am glad I got into them.

 

[dtrkyman]

Won’t be long folks will have to pay to replace their light bulbs!!!

My oldest nephew is about to get his PHD, wouldn’t know which end of a hammer to pick up!

My wife’s friend is a plumber, picks and chooses his jobs right now and can’t keep up!


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[backcountry_hunter]

Good time to be a plumber, as others have said a good attitude and honest 8, 10 or 12 hours and you're ahead of 95% of the work force.

Only caution I'd give is the "self employed" part. There are downfalls. A good friend has been in the process of closing out his business for going on 2 years as a master electrician. He took a job with the state as a M.E. and is making way less but the reduced hours, no pressure to hire help, health ins & retirement paired with zero stress made it more attractive than working for himself. He'll also be fighting some battles yet for probably several years. He did almost exclusively residential and at the time of choosing to leave for a 9-5 had something like 60K-70K in outstanding bills customers hadn't/weren't paying with no indication he's ever going to recoup any of it.

There's definite perks to being self employed but there's drawbacks as well.

 

[butcherboy]

If you go with being a plumber then definitely concentrate on commercial. Start off with a company that does both residential and commercial. Commercial you will probably have to bid for jobs but the pay is better and big construction jobs pay their bills. Residential will probably pay as well but then you have to deal with individual customers paying their bill. Another trade to look into would be HVAC, heating/ cooling. I know how much I pay my HVAC guy and it’s a good chunk of change. I would go commercial with that as well but you may have to start in residential.

 

[HighUintas]

I'm going to jump in here with a question that could be applicable to the OP. But this question is for me.

If a guy is wanting to move to another state in 2-3 years, is it better to wait to start the apprenticeship journey before or after moving?

 

[mi650]

Personally, I hate plumbing, but that's not to say it's a bad plan. At your age, I wouldn't hesitate to get into a trade. Actually had an opportunity to become an ironworker when I was older than you.

I had applied a few years prior, there were only so many openings. Everyone who applied, about 500 of us, was put into a lottery administered by a judge. By the time my number was drawn, I was making much better money so I turned it down.

 

[schmalzy]

I’d consider HVAC as well. You’re not too old. Have a good attitude and know that sacrifice today brings immense opportunity tomorrow.

I’m a Fire sprinkler guy and didn’t really focus on it until I was 27.

A note on being your own boss; it’s cool and I love it, but it has its own significant headaches. If you become an excellent reliable plumber you will have multiple opportunities. My opinion, start with commercial and truly learn it, then run every service call you can and dabble in residential. By the time you’re 35 you can go and do anything you want.


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[dhatter9]

Started my electrical apprenticeship at 28. Got married at 30 and had kids at 35. Now I’m going on 39. Being an electrician has been good to me. Not always the easiest being in construction, but once you are established there is a high demand for skilled labor.

 

[bull5477]

I got into the apprenticeship at 25 so I wouldn't say your to old by any means. The pay might be hard for a bit, most of the apprentices I know are making 25 ish an hour. Not great but depending on what your wife is pulling in it might be okay.

As far as commercial/union or residential/non union goes is tough. We are a small shop, just my dad and I and we are crazy busy making a good living. Can pick and choose jobs which I like because I enjoy something different every day. Unlike my buddies who are in union shops who do the same thing at the same place day in and day out. We also can't ever get away, vacation time is hard to find and the hours are usually long but I wouldn't change it cause I love to work.

Union shops can also involve a lot of traveling which would be hard with a couple of kids. The biggest benefit to a union would be the benefits and retirement.


I say definitely go for it if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and like the physical work. Maybe shop around with different shops or talk to a union rep and see which style would fit your lifestyle better. Best of luck with whatever you pick!

 

[ddd-shooter]

In Georgia, you’re not likely to get on with a union.
Are you a hard worker? Do you wanna work long hours? Do you like to be dirty? Do you enjoy smelly things?
If the answer is no, stay where you are.
If yes,
Find a good local plumbing company near you. Go to them and tell them you’ll be there everyday and you’re willing to learn and you’re not scared to be dirty. Learn to read drawings, study to be a licensed plumber and make a wonderful living in the trade. Negotiate a decent intro pay, and be clear you expect it to go up after you learn the trade.

 

[Rokbar]

Crap pays well.

 

[2531usmc]

I see a lot of the neighborhood kids walking out of college with degrees in sports management or the humanities. Their starting jobs are paying $40,000 a year and they have $100k in student loans.

Many of them have concluded they are on a one track road to nowhere and have turned to the trades to have a better life.

Here in MD, skilled trades are at a premium and a plumber or an electrician can have a very good life

 

[Yoder]

Ask yourself this question, do you like poo? Would you be ok getting sewer water splashed in your face? I'm not a plumber but I've done a lot of stuff around my house and for others. It can get ugly. The good thing is, eventually something inside of you dies and you'll be able to eat a sandwich while you are looking in a septic tank. I've thought about becoming a plumber. I like fitting up pipes and working on pumps. New construction wouldn't be as bad a repairs.

 

[Wrench]

Don't get too hung up on apprentice wages. *IF* you are a shiner your contractors CAN pay you more and throw you easy hours.

I've done multiple apprenticeships and was fortunate enough to be paid as a journeyman through them.

I'm almost 50 and considering rolling into an apprenticeship which sounds crazy but my industry (hydroelectric dam worker) is nearly impossible to break into and there's some specialized crafts that eat pretty well here.