When you start out as a plumbers helper your job duties will be completely different then the junior mechanic and the master plumber. As a plumbers helper your job will be to cut pipe for the other mechanics, you will be the one to go to the truck for more fittings or tools, you also will stud guard and be the one to clean up after everyone and pack up the truck at the end of the day. If you have no experience you probably will star out at around $8.50 – $11.00 per hour depending on the company that hires you. If you are an experienced plumbers helper but not really a junior plumbing mechanic you could make around $9.50 – $12.50 depending on how much plumbing experience you have.
After you have been a plumbers helper for a few years you will soon reach the junior plumbing mechanic level. You know will be able to start running water and heat lines yourself. You of course will have to be supervised by a licensed plumbing mechanic but you will get more hands on experience then when you were just a plumbing mechanics helper. You will also learn methods of joining all types of plumbing pipe. You will learn how to properly clean and sweat copper pipe, you will learn how to cut and crimp Pex together, you will also learn how to prime and glue PVC waste and water pipe. When your a junior plumbing mechanic you will make around $11.50 – $16.50 an hour depending on your knowledge and your skills. The more you can do by yourself, the more money per hour you will make.
Once you have trained as a plumbers helper and also a junior plumbing mechanic you will move into the plumbing mechanics position. Here you will learn to read blueprints and lay the job out from start to finish. Some companies will also let you run a crew that will consist of a junior mechanic and a helper. You will be responsible for material lists, making sure you have all the right tools on the truck for the job and most importantly you will be responsible for making sure the plumbing rough, finish or job will be completed on time. As a plumbing mechanic you can earn between $16.00 – $32.00 an hour depending on how many years experience you have. The more experience you have with the plumbing industry and the plumbing tools, the more money you will make per hour. If you have good leadership qualities and can run a plumbing crew that is very productive, you also can become a top earner. Once you have a few years as a plumbing mechanic you can look at the local testing requirements and take your master plumbers license test.
