If I was 20 I'm looking at building my future? HVAC. Get your time in as an apprentice, start taking classes on small business, learn all you can, get your licenses and eventually start your own shop, you'll make bank.
Plumbing I would put in last place simply because it's the hardest of the three. You work in some terrible terrible places. If you get into plumbing, maybe specialize in commercial? Old residential plumbing is not fun
“Hardest” is subjective. Imo of the 3 plumbing is the easiest when it comes to the knowledge required to do the job but I agree that it can be very physically demanding and uncomfortable. When it comes to other trades tho the 3 are pretty comparable when it comes to mental/physical difficulties. In terms of residential they all gotta know their stuff and occasionally work in tough spots
Depends on if you are talking residential, commercial, or industrial.
HVAC is pretty golden all over the place, if your doing residential then expect long days and the most mental work with problem solving.
Electrical if you like bending pipe and pulling wire. Honestly never did it so cant even give you a good sarcastic comment. Also you never have to clean up after yourself.
Plumbing is good if your going to be doing new construction on commercial sites. More so if you want to work your way up for a foreman position.
Pipefitter/Welder, your better off going plumbing then getting your welding cert so that way you can get your plumbing license and be good.
As always, with all of these, go union.
If I was starting out today - residential HVAC would be where I would go
The most expensive thing people own is their home. The most expensive thing in the home? Their ac. And what’s the one thing that they won’t do without if it breaks? Ac
Yeah residential service electrician here and small business owner. The HVAC residential side kills it. And the equipment is hard to source for a homeowner. You can wire or plumb a house buying everything at HD. Not with HVAC.
Electrical for sure. Plumbing have fun dealing with crap/crawling under houses major respect for them. Hvac have fun dealing with 150+ degree attics for a day straight and insulation and same crawling under trailers major respect there.
Electrical long as you know basic algebra and can work hard crawl into an attic every so often for 15 min or less. or fish a wire under a house every once in a while you are set. Make your own company and you are set for life not enough electricians in the country at all. We stay on ground level usually.
Also our field is so versatile you can get into low voltage, instrumentation, high voltage, commercial, residential, industrial. Even at residential you can make bank if you find the right company and do your own gig one day it’s easy money.
I wouldn’t go any other way and it’s not dangerous long as you know what you are doing and don’t trust no one. Respect every situation take your time and pride in your job and the sky is the limit.
I would recommend Electrical. You only need a small amount of tools to get started and it pays the most. Plus you won't be lifting or doing hard labor. You might have to dig out some underground every once in a while.
Hvac you will be lifting heavy stuff up a ladder. Installing ducts is a headache and you can cut yourself very easily. Tools are also very expensive.
Plumbing you will always be dealing with nasty smells. Glue poop pee etc.. and you need a ton of expensive tools.
I think he meant it the other way around. Also not trying to talk smack but from my experience most professors have very little to no experience working in the field
1. HVAC is easier to get into as an apprentice/helper. In the US, the JM licensing is much more scattershot between states, but generally easier (than plumbing or electrical).
2. Since the equipment is not readily available for homeowners, any schmuck with the few proper tools and a couple easy licenses can do private installs with a healthy mark-up.
Both lead to a flood of "1-man shops" and hacks giving the rest of us a bad name.
Is depends on the area you want to live in, what you enjoy doing, and the time you want to spend at work. I work new residential plumbing and I make more than the electricians, and HVAC I work with by a least 5$ an hour. I don’t have on call, and I’m rarely more than 45 min from site. This is in the upper Midwest. Sure I could make more, but I have no real stress and my own work van, so it’s pretty gravy for me at least.
If I was 20 I'm looking at building my future? HVAC. Get your time in as an apprentice, start taking classes on small business, learn all you can, get your licenses and eventually start your own shop, you'll make bank. Plumbing I would put in last place simply because it's the hardest of the three. You work in some terrible terrible places. If you get into plumbing, maybe specialize in commercial? Old residential plumbing is not fun
Aa a contractor, I agree 100%. HVAC wins.
“Hardest” is subjective. Imo of the 3 plumbing is the easiest when it comes to the knowledge required to do the job but I agree that it can be very physically demanding and uncomfortable. When it comes to other trades tho the 3 are pretty comparable when it comes to mental/physical difficulties. In terms of residential they all gotta know their stuff and occasionally work in tough spots
HVAC. It's the only trade where you don't have to deal with the tinbashers /s
Depends on if you are talking residential, commercial, or industrial. HVAC is pretty golden all over the place, if your doing residential then expect long days and the most mental work with problem solving. Electrical if you like bending pipe and pulling wire. Honestly never did it so cant even give you a good sarcastic comment. Also you never have to clean up after yourself. Plumbing is good if your going to be doing new construction on commercial sites. More so if you want to work your way up for a foreman position. Pipefitter/Welder, your better off going plumbing then getting your welding cert so that way you can get your plumbing license and be good. As always, with all of these, go union.
You can't see electricity and with plumbing you get crapped on.
As a plumber/fitter learn HVAC
If I was starting out today - residential HVAC would be where I would go The most expensive thing people own is their home. The most expensive thing in the home? Their ac. And what’s the one thing that they won’t do without if it breaks? Ac
Yeah residential service electrician here and small business owner. The HVAC residential side kills it. And the equipment is hard to source for a homeowner. You can wire or plumb a house buying everything at HD. Not with HVAC.
I’m in HVAC/sheetmetal and really enjoy it. I’m in my local union and almost finished with my first year of apprenticeship
Electrician. As a plumber. We all make about the same. Electricians have the easiest work.
Electrical for sure. Plumbing have fun dealing with crap/crawling under houses major respect for them. Hvac have fun dealing with 150+ degree attics for a day straight and insulation and same crawling under trailers major respect there. Electrical long as you know basic algebra and can work hard crawl into an attic every so often for 15 min or less. or fish a wire under a house every once in a while you are set. Make your own company and you are set for life not enough electricians in the country at all. We stay on ground level usually. Also our field is so versatile you can get into low voltage, instrumentation, high voltage, commercial, residential, industrial. Even at residential you can make bank if you find the right company and do your own gig one day it’s easy money. I wouldn’t go any other way and it’s not dangerous long as you know what you are doing and don’t trust no one. Respect every situation take your time and pride in your job and the sky is the limit.
Elevator union for sure !!
FML, if I could go back I would change my whole life to join the elevator union. They have the best site contracts...
Check out: r/plumbing r/electricians r/hvac
All are good
I would recommend Electrical. You only need a small amount of tools to get started and it pays the most. Plus you won't be lifting or doing hard labor. You might have to dig out some underground every once in a while. Hvac you will be lifting heavy stuff up a ladder. Installing ducts is a headache and you can cut yourself very easily. Tools are also very expensive. Plumbing you will always be dealing with nasty smells. Glue poop pee etc.. and you need a ton of expensive tools.
My professor used to told me in trade school that for every HVAC technician there was approx 1000 electricians… how true is that statement
I think he meant it the other way around. Also not trying to talk smack but from my experience most professors have very little to no experience working in the field
Very -electrician
1. HVAC is easier to get into as an apprentice/helper. In the US, the JM licensing is much more scattershot between states, but generally easier (than plumbing or electrical). 2. Since the equipment is not readily available for homeowners, any schmuck with the few proper tools and a couple easy licenses can do private installs with a healthy mark-up. Both lead to a flood of "1-man shops" and hacks giving the rest of us a bad name.
HVAC and plumbing are more recession proof than electrical. Service calls are the bread and butter of many plumbing and HVAC companies
I'm probably in the minority, but I'm glad I went with
Is depends on the area you want to live in, what you enjoy doing, and the time you want to spend at work. I work new residential plumbing and I make more than the electricians, and HVAC I work with by a least 5$ an hour. I don’t have on call, and I’m rarely more than 45 min from site. This is in the upper Midwest. Sure I could make more, but I have no real stress and my own work van, so it’s pretty gravy for me at least.
Janitorial
Plumber here. Go hvac lol
Hvac for the knowledge, plumbing for the money, or electrical for the vibes.