Trade Schools
If you live in the state of New York and want to become a plumber, this page is designed to provide you with information about the schools and programs that can prepare you for your first job in the field.
As a plumber, you may earn anywhere between less than $40,000 and more than $100,000, depending on experience, industry of employment, and many other factors.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage reported by workers in this profession was calculated at $61,550, as of May 2023.
Before being ready to apply for your first job in the field, you have to know how to safely perform tasks such as:
- Reading and interpreting blueprints
- Installing, repairing, and maintaining plumbing systems in buildings
- Fixing and repairing various appliances
- Preparing cost estimates
- Handling customer queries
- And more
Most employers require plumbers to hold a trade school diploma or to have completed an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships typically last between three and five years and include technical instruction and paid on-the-job training.
To help you choose the program that best meets your needs, on this page, we have compiled information about the best plumbing schools in your state.
1Nassau Boces
Nassau Boces Barry Tech offers a Plumbing program that combines classroom theory with hands-on training in plumbing technologies as well as “Smart Home” technologies that prepare Long Island students for entry-level positions in this field.
Courses Offered
Students learn a variety of essential skills, including:
- Reading blueprints, drawings, and schematics
- The requirements of the HVAC
- Clean air requirements
- Heating and ventilation
- Installing CA systems
- Installing a ductless heat pump system
- Black pipe and pex installations
The lessons included in this program are:
- Baseboard heating
- Safe use of trade-related tools
- Heat load calculations
- Gas pipe sizing
- Boilers
- Hot and cold water distribution systems
- Pipe fitting
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1196 Prospect Avenue, Westbury NY 11590
- Phone: (516) 622-6800
- Website: https://barrytech.nassauboces.org
2Bronx Design and Construction Academy
About the School
Bronx Design and Construction Academy offers a plumbing program that provides students with marketable, job-specific skills and workplace readiness skills to help them succeed in the industry.
Safety and equipment care are emphasized while students learn to install and repair pipes and plumbing fixtures according to construction drawings and specifications.
After completing the program, students may choose to enter the job market directly or continue their studies in a college program, technical school, or apprenticeship program.
The plumbing system is three years long and offers students the opportunity to demonstrate workplace readiness skills and earn professional certification.
Contact Information
- Address: 333 E 151st St Bronx, NY 10451
- Phone: (718) 402-7690
- Website: https://www.bxdesign.org
3UA Local 1
About the School
UA Local 1 has a Plumbers and Gas-Fitters Training Center in Long Island City.
The union offers a New York-registered five-year apprenticeship program as well as journeyman training, certification courses, and more.
Students develop the physical and mental skills to perform a variety of tasks, from underground installations to final connections, to fixtures and equipment.
Graduates are fully qualified journeyman plumbers and gas fitters equipped with numerous technical skills and certifications.
The curriculum covers subjects such as trade mathematics, technical blueprint reading, mechanical drawing, computer science and CAD, water supply, fuel gas science, fuel gas code interpretation, rigging, soldering, brazing, welding, and more.
Contact Information
- Address: 50-02 Fifth Street, 2nd Floor, Long Island City, New York 11101
- Phone: 718-738-7500
- Website: https://www.ualocal1.org
4LaGuardia Community College
About the School
LaGuardia Community College offers a Plumbing I Training program that helps students build the skills they need for in-demand jobs in the plumbing field.
This hands-on training program prepares students for entry-level positions in the field.
Plumbing I students learn about construction safety, construction math, plumbing drawings, plumbing fixtures, water distribution systems, and drain, waste, and vent systems, among other topics.
The course includes OSHA 30-hour certification and 10-hour Site Safety Training certification and uses the industry-recognized National Center for Construction Education & Research.
The training is offered in person at the LaGuardia Community College campus.
Students need a high school diploma/equivalency or related work experience and they must be at least 18 years of age.
Contact Information
- Address: 31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101 USA
- Phone: 718-482-7244
- Website: https://www.laguardia.edu
5Suny Delhi
About the School
Suny Delhi offers a Plumbing and Refrigeration program that leads to an Associate in Occupational Studies degree.
The two-year program is a combination of a one-year certificate in Plumbing, Heating, and Pipefitting and a one-year certificate in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning.
Students gain the fundamental skills they need for a successful career as plumbers, service technicians, systems designers, and other related positions.
The Plumbing, Heating, and Pipefitting certificate teaches students how to install complete bathrooms as well as heating systems.
Some plumbers’ unions accept this certificate as the equivalent of the first year in their five-year apprenticeship program.
Each one-year certificate may also be combined with one-year Electrical Construction, Electrical Instrumentation, or Welding Technology programs to earn an AOS degree.
Contact Information
- Address: SUNY Delhi 454 Delhi Drive, Delhi, NY 13753
- Phone: (607) 746-4000
- Website: https://www.delhi.edu
6New York Career & Business School
About the School
New York Career & Business School offers vocational training in electrical, plumbing, and other construction trades.
Plumbing programs include between 100 and 600 hours.
The 600-hour Plumbing program can be completed in 20 or 30 weeks.
Students may choose either the morning or evening schedule during the weekdays.
In the theoretical phase of the instruction, students participate in live Zoom Cloud Meetings with the instructor.
Once they have acquired the necessary mathematical skills and a solid understanding of the core theory, students proceed to the practical phase.
In a classroom lab setting, they will design and install a variety of plumbing applications.
Contact Information
- Address: 54-40 Myrtle Ave, Ridgewood, NY 11385
- Phone: (718) 750-5191
- Website: https://www.nycareerschool.com
7Bronx Design & Construction Academy
About the School
Bronx Design & Construction Academy offers a variety of CTE programs:
- Architecture
- Carpentry
- Electrical
- HVAC
- Plumbing
Bronx Design & Construction Academy offers a Plumbing Systems program that provides students with marketable, job-specific skills and workplace readiness skills to help students succeed in the plumbing industry.
Students learn to install and repair pipes and plumbing fixtures according to construction drawings and specifications, emphasizing safety and equipment care.
After completing the program, graduates may choose to enter the job market or continue their studies via a college program, technical school, or apprenticeship program.
Contact Information
- Address: 333 E 151st St Bronx, NY 10451
- Phone: (718) 402-7690
- Website: https://www.bxdesign.org
8The City College of New York
About the School
The City College of New York offers a Foundations of Plumbing course that is available fully online.
The course trains students for a career in plumbing by teaching the fundamental, job-ready skills relevant to the plumbing and piping industry.
Students in this self-paced program learn specialized plumbing skills and terminology specific to residential, commercial, and industrial plumbing systems.
The course also teaches math, geometry, and physical principles needed to work on plumbing systems.
The self-paced 12-month program includes 145-course hours and costs $2,245.
Courses Offered
Students learn:
- Basic concepts of plumbing safety and safety procedures for material and equipment use
- The use and meaning of specialty drawings used in construction
- The application and installation of standard plumbing fixtures
- How to identify piping systems and fixture types used in plumbing work
- And many other skills and concepts
The curriculum covers topics such as:
- Plumbing History, Codes and Principles
- Tools of the Plumbing Trade
- First Aid and Safety
- Basic Math for Plumbing
- Water Heaters
- Pipe Joining Techniques
- Introduction to Welding
- And many more
Contact Information
- Address: 138th Street & Convent Avenue, Shepard Hall Room 2, Adult and Continuing Education, New York, NY 10031 US
- Phone: 855.520.6806
- Website: https://careertraining.ccny.cuny.edu
9Plumbers Training Institute
About the School
Plumbers Training Institute offers online plumbers courses for:
- International Plumbing Code Exam Prep
- Professional Development
International Plumbing Code Exam Prep courses include:
- New York G24 National Standard Master Plumber Exam Prep- a 15-hour program that costs $389
- New York G25 National Standard Journeyman Plumber Exam Prep- a 12-hour course that costs $289
- New York Master Plumber Isometrics- a three-hour course that costs $59
- New York Plumbing Vents- a one-hour course that costs $29.
Plumbers Training Institute classes may be completed from anywhere, anytime.
Contact Information
- Phone: 855-284-8738
- Website: https://www.plumberstraininginstitute.com
10U.S. Career Institute
Plumbing classes are also available at schools located in other states, in an online format.
About the School
U.S. Career Institute offers a self-paced online plumbing school that teaches students everything they need to know in order to obtain a Plumbing Apprentice position.
Students learn skills such as:
- Applying basic customer service principles to on-the-job situations.
- Describing tools of the plumbing trade and their proper use
- Describing common plumbing fixtures, faucets, and valves
- Interpreting plumbing drawings and sketches
There are no set class schedules, which means that students can complete the coursework anytime, from anywhere.
If paid in full, this course costs $1,239.
Tuition includes access to instructors, all the learning materials, and career support.
Contact Information
- Address: 2001 Lowe Street, Fort Collins, CO
- Phone: 866-262-7883
- Website: https://learn.uscareerinstitute.edu
Schools Summary Table
Regional Salary in New York
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 1,330 | $83,100 | $39.95 | $118,190 | $47,250 |
| Binghamton, NY | 260 | $73,860 | $35.51 | $117,710 | $44,370 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 1,340 | $74,360 | $35.75 | $103,640 | $38,550 |
| Elmira, NY | 110 | $69,060 | $33.20 | $98,100 | $43,970 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 100 | $63,720 | $30.64 | $109,950 | $44,890 |
| Ithaca, NY | 70 | $66,000 | $31.73 | $98,770 | $47,210 |
| Kingston, NY | 190 | $72,170 | $34.70 | $106,950 | $38,950 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 770 | $74,510 | $35.82 | $120,880 | $42,330 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 21,500 | $91,060 | $43.78 | $138,100 | $49,180 |
| Rochester, NY | 1,360 | $72,360 | $34.79 | $106,890 | $45,000 |
| Syracuse, NY | 910 | $69,930 | $33.62 | $95,980 | $45,000 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 110 | $70,500 | $33.89 | $118,980 | $38,090 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 100 | $75,980 | $36.53 | $138,050 | $40,470 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Final Thoughts
If you live in the state of New York and you want to start a career in plumbing, there are plenty of educational opportunities for you.
Now that you have read our selection of the best plumbing schools in your state, it’s time to continue the research and apply for the program that best meets your learning style and career aspirations.
