WACO, TEXAS – The plumbing industry, according to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, could hold a more prosperous future for some graduates, opposed to a traditional collegiate degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for a plumber in 2010 was roughly $47,000. This income outpaced comparable occupational worker’s annual earnings by close to $15,000.
Due to the need for good, working plumbing, and the repairs needed to maintain plumbing, the industry has significant job security. Employment of plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters is expected to grow 26% from 2010 to 2020, significantly outperforming occupational averages due to stricter water efficiency standards and an increase in building and power plant construction projects.
According to Bloomberg, prospective students should “Compare [becoming] a plumber to going to Harvard College — being a plumber, actually for the average person, probably would be a better deal. You don’t spend ... four years spending $40,000, $50,000 in tuition without earning income.”
Whether or not students and parents agree with the comment, Mr. Rooter LLC, a full service plumbing and drain cleaning company, has experienced consecutively profitable years and is constantly searching for qualified plumbing technicians.
“The opportunity to make a good income and provide your family with a great standard of living is definitely possible with a job in the plumbing industry,” Mr. Rooter LLC President Mary Kennedy Thompson said. “Those who learn the trade and work while they earn their certification won’t be burdened by the extensive debt of those who spend nearly half a decade in college, figuring out what they want to do when they graduate. Mr. Rooter and our franchisees are looking for service professionals to help us grow our brand. ”
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the average student debt increased 5.3% for 2011 graduates compared those who graduated in 2010. Most plumbers learn on the job through an apprenticeship or by attending a technical school, a small investment by comparison. Most states and localities require plumbers to have a license, paving the way for a new generation of experts in the plumbing trade.
Established in 1970, Mr. Rooter is an all-franchised, full-service plumbing and drain cleaning company with approximately 300 franchises worldwide. Recognized by Entrepreneur magazine among its “Franchise 500” and Franchise Times Top 200, Mr. Rooter franchisees provide services to both residential and commercial customers. Mr. Rooter began franchising in 1974 and is a subsidiary of The Dwyer Group, Inc. For more information or to find the location nearest you, please visit our Web site at www.mrrooter.com.