• Install eco-friendly water systems for homes and businesses

• Design Instagram-worthy kitchens and bathrooms

• Torch, braze and solder pipes and fittings using advanced techniques and equipment

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With a median annual salary of $52,590 and skyrocketing demand, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters are among the highest paid and most sought after professionals in the construction trades. Students in our Plumbing & Heating program master the following skills as they prepare to launch careers in this lucrative field:

• Read and interpret blueprints, pipe system sketches and plumbing specifications
• Measure, cut and join a variety of metallic pipe/tubing, including copper, steel and cast iron
• Measure, cut and assemble a variety of plastic pipe/tubing, including PVC, CPVC, PEX, PE and HDPE
• Rough in water supply lines, waste lines and vents for various fixtures and appliances
• Install and repair various fixtures and appliances

Instruction begins with job site safety, power tool use and other fundamentals, but quickly advances to soldering, brazing, threading and pressing pipe/tubing. Working in a program lab outfitted with custom-made trainers and industry standard equipment from RIGID, Uponor, Viega and other manufacturers, students hone their skills by completing assignments that mimic real-life residential, commercial and industrial plumbing challenges.

First- and second-year students team up to tackle an industrial piping project, for example, while third- and fourth-year students focus on designing and installing bathrooms. Job shadows, internships and cooperative education are integral to the program; upperclassmen routinely secure positions with Deluxe Plumbing & Heating, Elek Plumbing, H.T. Lyons and Schuler Service among other local employers.

Our Plumbing & Heating program is endorsed by the following organization:

Pennsylvania Builders Association

Industry Credentials

Plumbing & Heating students can earn the following certifications and credentials in high school:

• Allentown Master Plumbers Association First-Year Pa. Apprenticeship Certificate
• EPA Section 608 Technician Certification
• OSHA Certification via CareerSafe®
• Pennsylvania Builders Association® Skills Certificate

College Credits

Students may earn college credit at participating schools for their work in the Plumbing & Heating program by scoring well on an end-of-program assessment and through a statewide articulation agreement.

Career Paths

with credentials:

• Apprentice Plumber
• Apprentice Pipefitter/Steamfitter
• Apprentice Sprinklerfitter

with credentials and experience:

• Journeyman Plumber/Pipefitter
• Licensed Master Plumber
• Plumbing/Mechanical Contractor

with postsecondary training or college degree:

• Bathroom/Kitchen Designer
• Construction Manager
• Mechanical Engineer
• Plumbing/Mechanical Estimator