In recent years, studies have shown that the United States has developed a shortage of qualified tradesmen. This is due in large part to the rhetoric surrounding higher education that has permeated popular culture since the late 1970s.

Americans are often told at a young age that they have to do well in school so they can go on to college, get a degree, and earn top dollar. Well, when young people finally set forth and try to find their life purpose, going to college and landing a high-paying job has become the cultural standard for doing so. And, it’s often the reason why interest in blue-collar trades has waned.

The good part about blue-collar trades, however, is that for the most part, they’re not quite as low paying as what some people believe.

For example, a plumber can earn a fairly good and honest living; that reason alone is why so many people are considering entering the field as a career option. Here are more reasons you might consider picking up the plumbing trade.

Student Loan Debt

Anyone who attends college knows exactly how expensive it can be just to complete one semester. The cost for one year of college can often range from around $35,000, on up to the six-figure range if attending Ivy League or private colleges.

Multiply the cost of one year times the standard four years of college, and you’ll find yourself having to pay several thousands of dollars for your education. For this purpose, many students compile massive student loan debt which they must begin repaying in as little as six months after graduating.

Learning the plumbing trade is not only far cheaper if you choose to be educated in the trade, in most cases, you learn from on-the-job training and you get paid while you learn. This removes the need for compiling debt that comes along with education.

Job Stability

It’s nearly impossible to outsource the need for a plumber. This being said, the need for plumbers will always be around so long as people construct buildings with running water.

If you’re considering becoming a licensed plumber or journeyman, you’ll always have available work. No matter what city, state, or country you live in, the need for your skills will always be around.

Sure, you might have to hunt around for work from time to time. But the work will be there, and you’ll be ready for it when you’re properly trained in the trade.

Good Pay for Honest Work

The average American worker brings home around $900 per week or so. Annually, this works out to approximately $48,500 per year. This statistic doesn’t mention the fact that many Americans work more than one job just to make this amount.

The average plumber brings home over $50,000 per year, and depending on the state in which he or she is licensed, a plumber can earn much more.

Some states such as New York report an annual average salary of over $75,000 per year. And for those who own their own plumbing business, yearly income can often be well into the six-figure range.

Though you’ll be performing hard work, you will be getting compensated quite handsomely for your efforts.

Respect

Some people joke about how blue-collar workers are uneducated and that they do the “grunt work” that nobody else wants to do. Well, you might be surprised to learn that many plumbers are well-educated, and they’re specifically educated in their trade.

More and more people are realizing the value of hard-working men and women across the nation. Without these individuals who are willing to take on the hard jobs that everyone else steers clear from, a large part of our critical infrastructure would go unchecked, and then, we’d all be suffering.

If you like the feeling of coming home after a hard day’s work, plumbing will give you this sensation. And, you’ll also earn the respect from your peers and from the people who need you in your community.