Las Vegas is a city that goes non-stop 24/7, so it's inevitable that sooner or later drains will get clogged and pipes will need to be replaced.
Just like in cities everywhere, the services of plumbers are always in high demand in Las Vegas. For people looking for a stable career with excellent pay and benefits, plumbing offers all that and more. As more people employed in such trades as electrician and plumber retire, there will be a big demand for younger workers who have been trained to replace them.
An excellent career for those who choose not to attend college, there are several avenues people in Las Vegas can take to become plumbers.
Students wanting to take the fast track or quick approach to becoming Las Vegas plumbers often look to become an apprentice to an experienced plumber. Many times, a quick scan of the want ads will show jobs advertised for plumbing helpers or apprentices.
One of the best ways to learn the trade, these jobs let people begin by helping with relatively simple jobs and progressing to working on more difficult jobs, often with less direct supervision.
However, the path most people take to becoming plumbers in Las Vegas is by entering a formal apprenticeship training program sponsored by a trade union. One of the most popular options in Las Vegas is the apprenticeship program conducted by the Pipe Trades Joint Apprentice and Journeyman Training Committee of the United Association of Journeyman Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States, Local Union 525.
This apprenticeship program, lasting five years and having almost 250 hours per year of classroom and shop training to go along with a total of 8,500 hours of on-the-job training, trains students in a variety of areas. Under the supervision of an experienced journeyman plumbing instructor, students are trained in such areas as blueprint reading, pipe welding, gas installations, refrigeration and more.
As gas systems become the choice of more homes and businesses, having the skills to specialize as a gas plumber can make this job very lucrative and put a student's skills in high demand. Others who wish to handle routine repairs each day can become a service plumber, handling many different types of residential and commercial repairs.
Because these jobs are very demanding physically, applicants must be in good physical condition and be able to work in confined spaces, areas high above the ground and in conditions that are either very hot or very cold.
Applications for these apprenticeships are taken once per year, usually for two weeks every March. For those who are accepted, the beginning pay rate is equal to 45 percent of what a Journeyman Plumber earns. As students complete additional training, their pay is increased five percent every six months until they achieve Journeyman's pay. So for residents of Las Vegas who are seeking a good-paying career and don't mind physical labor, a career as a Plumber can be both lucrative and interesting.
The information on this site is meant as general information on the topic of becoming a plumber in Las Vegas and may contain incorrect or outdated information. Research local and state plumbing resources for requirements and more specific details. You can also contact some local Las Vegas plumbing companies to get more general information and specific requirements, details and some other options that may work out better for your career goals in plumbing.