The life of a plumber is often seen as a less glamorous career choice than other professions, but the truth is that it can be a great way to make a good living. About a decade ago, Laurence Kotlikoff, professor of economics at Boston University, made a splash by stating that future plumbers would have approximately the same purchasing power throughout their lives as doctors. He cited the costly cost of college and lost wages as two main reasons why future doctors (or other professions that require advanced degrees) would struggle to build wealth faster than plumbers. If you're considering becoming a plumber, job prospects will be a key factor in your decision-making process.
Fortunately, the Government of Canada Employment Bank predicts a steady demand for plumbers in Ontario for the foreseeable future. Do you see yourself owning your own plumbing business one day? Many plumbing program graduates start their own contracting companies and all the profits you make are yours to keep. But like any trade, becoming a plumber means taking on certain challenges. Plumbers work in any climate and sometimes have to endure extreme heat or cold.
There's no question about it, as in all construction trades, plumbing is physically demanding. Some of the work you do as a plumber will be predictable, but you'll spend most of your time solving problems. Whether you're making problems in a new home, tracking the source of a leak, or responding to an emergency, plumbing work presents a healthy dose of daily challenges. For plumbers, the same lack of predictability that makes work interesting can also make it stressful. You must be sensible and able to solve problems under pressure to succeed in this field.
And when it comes to emergencies, maintaining your composure when a disaster strikes is absolutely essential for plumbers. You'll need to stay calm and be professional, even when everyone else is in total panic mode. It's great that you mentioned that professional plumbers can always choose to do business for themselves, as flexibility is a big novelty in this line of work. Master Plumbers have higher salaries, more job flexibility, and more opportunities than many other professions. If you're not having much luck, you can also try contacting local plumbers directly — chances are good that at least one of them has good advice for you. But personally, these things usually don't take more than an hour, and since there's little that goes to the plumbing business here, my job is worth a lot more than it was in my father's time.
Training in this industry will prepare you to become an apprentice, plumbing technician, or licensed plumber. The good thing about being a plumber is that if there is a plumbing problem at home, you won't have to spend money to call a local plumber to solve your plumbing problems at home. Officially, plumbers work standard eight-hour shifts, but there are always emergencies and last-minute requests to attend to. In fact, many plumbers are very happy with the amount of time they have left to spend with their families. As you can see, you can make good additional money as a plumber apart from your daily work and this gives you great financial flexibility as you can work more at times when you urgently need money and less if you have enough money in your bank account.
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