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• Building owners • Local, state, and federal governments Where Are the Jobs? Plumbers and pipe fitters can be found in homes, factories, of- fice buildings, power plants, and other domestic and industrial settings around the country. Most plumbers and pipe fitters work 40-hour weeks. The exception is if you are employed maintaining a company’s pipe systems, or by a company contracted to maintain such systems. In such a case you may need to work evenings or weekends, or be on call in case of an emer- gency. You may also work at two or more job sites located some distance apart. Plumbers employed in construction may work sporadically. After a project is finished, you may spend some time out of work. However, because plumbing must always be main- tained, plumbers and pipe fitters have fewer worries about unemployment than do people working in other construction trades. Plumbers’ and pipe fitters’ work can sometimes be grueling . You may have to lift heavy pipes, stand, bend, stretch, kneel, or otherwise work in uncomfortable positions. You may need to work outdoors in bad weather, and there is also a danger of burning yourself on a hot pipe or otherwise being injured. This is why it is important to pay atten- tion to safety. A Typical Day Here are the highlights of a typical day for a plumber. Pull it out. The Johnson family has hired you to install their new dish- washer. First, though, you’ll have to take the old one out. While crawling TALKING TRENDS The number of plumbers and pipe fitters will grow at about 12 per- cent, faster than the national average, through 2024. Job opportunities may even outstrip the number of trained and qualified workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means that wages will be at a premium. No wonder Albert Einstein once said that if he could live his life over again, he would become a plumber! See what it’s like to be an apprentice plumber.

Plumber or Pipe Fitter  •

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