How to Become a Plumber: The Best Career Move for You

The plumbing industry continues to be widely successful across Australia, with the average weekly income sitting being $1894 and full-time employment sitting at an average of 88%.

By completing a plumbing apprenticeship, you could be on your way to being a successfully licensed plumber in no time!

The next few years are looking bright for prospective plumbers with job openings expecting to rise steadily, especially in the states of New South Wales and Victoria. There are not only plumbing and carpentry apprenticeships, but you can also undertake hairdressing apprenticeships as well.

Furthermore, plumbing is one of the most age-versatile careers in Australia, with the average age bracket falling within the 25-34 age range, closely followed by the 35-44 age range. So, if you’re looking to change careers or you’re returning to the workforce, plumbing is an even more viable option for you!

Plumbing is a trade and is often associated with the construction industry, as almost 90% of plumbing work ties in with construction. Now, we know that when most people think of plumbing, they often associate the job with only one thing – toilet activities.

Although sewerage installation and maintenance is a part of the job sometimes, it’s not the be-all-end-all! Plumbing includes the installation, maintenance, and understanding of all things:

• Water supply and systems
• Gas appliances
• Sewerage
• Cooling and heating systems
• Drainage systems
• Ventilation

Every building has multiple of these systems and therefore needs a plumber to ensure they’re installed correctly and continue to run smoothly – that could be you!

Plumbing is also a skillful job. Not only is it a physical career that could require heavy-lifting and travel from site to site, but it’s also a customer-facing role!

Being a plumber includes a lot of face-to-face interaction with your clients. You need to be able to effectively explain the issue and how you’re going to fix it. So if you’re good with your hands and are a people person, this is definitely a prospective career path for you.

There’s a number of Apprenticeships and Traineeships you can undertake to become a plumber in Australia.

Becoming a plumber isn’t as difficult as you think! There are numerous pathways and options for study; however, the best way to start your career as a qualified plumber is to complete your plumbing apprenticeship often offered by trade schools. You can also undertake a carpentry apprenticeship at trade school too.

For people over 21, a mature-age apprenticeship can help you get your qualification and a job in the industry.

During an apprenticeship program, you undergo a training program that teaches you the necessary skills, tools and technologies that are imperative to becoming a successful plumber – skills like:

• Installing various water systems (for example – water heaters)
• Maintaining water and gas systems
• Gasfitting
• Installing fixtures like sinks and showerheads
• Installing and maintaining air conditioning units
• Reading blueprints
• Pipe fitting

A great way to kickstart your apprenticeship is to complete a certificate iii, certificate IV or short course qualification in plumbing to receive some of the best on-the-job training. This work experience will set you up well in the industry and will give you a fantastic foundation to kickstart your future in plumbing.

A person’s career in the plumbing trade doesn’t need to be stagnant, but instead can have a steady progression into something as exciting as owning your own business!

A lot of licensed plumbers in the industry choose to specialise in certain areas of plumbing and study more specialised plumbing courses in practical sectors such as gas, mechanical, roofing, water, or sanitary.

Specialising in certain areas of plumbing can make you seem more valuable to a potential employer or a prospective client as it shows that you’re a ‘master plumber’ who’s more knowledgeable and well-versed in your trade.

Others like to progress into the business side of plumbing companies. Once you’ve become a more experienced plumber, you may find yourself wanting to run your own team or projects. A course in project management or business management will help you reach this matured stage of your career that requires extensive experience with plumbing systems and problem-solving.

Becoming a plumber offers far more career opportunities than you may have once thought. The plumbing industry continues to grow in Australia and is offering many reliable job prospects. Now is the time to step into what could be your exciting new career.

If you’re a hands-on problem-solver with a knack for customer service, this could be the perfect opportunity for you!