Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 17 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services pays
Career outlook for Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services graduates
The job market for the occupations Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers | 921,600 | +5.3% | $78,690 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters | 504,500 | +4.5% | $62,970 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners | 30,400 | +7.6% | $49,140 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Earth drillers, except oil and gas | 18,300 | +2.9% | $59,600 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Rotary drill operators, oil and gas | 13,300 | +0.2% | $65,010 | No formal educational credential |
| Derrick operators, oil and gas | 11,300 | +0.5% | $62,740 | No formal educational credential |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services vs similar majors
How Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services stacks up against the closest fields in Construction Trades on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services Construction Trades · this major | Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | Construction Trades, Other | Construction Trades, General | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 33 F | 54 C | 52 C | 34 F |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Poor return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $50,900 | $59,986 | $59,770 | $52,003 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $36,996 | $43,849 | $35,515 | $47,891 |
| ROI vs cost | -22% | +98% | +93% | -8% |
| Typical debt | $9,551 | $9,663 | $12,000 | $10,818 |
| Colleges offering it | 17 | 161 | 5 | 7 |
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN | Certificate | $90,060 | — | +6,108% | Strong return |
| 2 | Saint Paul College Saint Paul, MN | Certificate | $86,387 | — | +3,500% | Strong return |
| 3 | Adult and Continuing Education-BCTS Hackensack, NJ | Certificate | $50,087 | — | +380% | Strong return |
| 4 | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi Delhi, NY | Certificate | $53,127 | — | +372% | Strong return |
| 5 | New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, RI | Certificate | $58,562 | $19,000 | +212% | Strong return |
| 6 | Industrial Management Training Institute Waterbury, CT | Certificate | $58,510 | $7,626 | +197% | Strong return |
| 7 | Douglas Education Center Monessen, PA | Certificate | $51,971 | — | +155% | Strong return |
| 8 | Ranken Technical College Saint Louis, MO | Certificate | $44,754 | $6,500 | -112% | Poor return |
| 9 | Hohokus School of Trade and Technical Sciences Paterson, NJ | Certificate | $44,548 | $10,478 | -117% | Poor return |
| 10 | Apex Technical School Long Island City, NY | Certificate | $44,566 | $9,500 | -124% | Poor return |
| 11 | Pennco Tech-Bristol Bristol, PA | Certificate | $43,065 | $9,500 | -185% | Poor return |
| 12 | Berk Trade and Business School Long Island City, NY | Certificate | $41,720 | $6,333 | -272% | Poor return |
| 13 | Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology Lancaster, PA | Certificate | $42,396 | — | -285% | Poor return |
| 14 | Orleans Technical College Philadelphia, PA | Certificate | $39,956 | $7,521 | -321% | Poor return |
| 15 | South Florida Institute of Technology Miami, FL | Certificate | $36,360 | $9,500 | -346% | Poor return |
| 16 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Elizabethton Elizabethton, TN | Certificate | $39,045 | — | -795% | Poor return |
| 17 | Sheridan Technical College Hollywood, FL | Certificate | $40,194 | — | -820% | Poor return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.