Compare trades side by side

Weighing two paths? See pay, training time, and demand head to head.

Trade A

vsTrade B

Metric	HVAC Technician	Plumber
Economic Baseline
Median annual wage	$61,010	$63,800
Wage range (entry to senior)	$40,050 to $95,210	$44,150 to $108,420
Hourly range (entry to senior)	$19.25 to $45.78/hr	$21.22 to $52.13/hr
Projected job growth	+8% over 10 yrs	+4% over 10 yrs
Market demand	High (9/10)	High (8/10)
Training & Time Pipeline
Entry path	Trade school plus apprenticeship	Direct apprenticeship
Time to first paid role	6 to 24 months	1 to 3 months
Time to full qualification	2 to 5 years	4 to 5 years
Earn while you learn	Yes. Often pairs trade school with paid field work	Yes. Paid apprenticeship, wage rises with hours logged
Credentialing & Regulation
State license required	Moderate. EPA Section 608 required, state license varies	Strict. State license plus exam in most states
Core certifications	EPA 608, NATE, OSHA 10	OSHA 10, state journeyman exam, backflow cert in some states
Daily Reality & EnvironmentExpanded data
Primary work setting	Homes, schools, hospitals, and commercial buildings. Service calls across multiple sites.	Indoors and outdoors: residential, commercial, and industrial sites. On-call for emergencies.
Primary safety hazard	Refrigerants and electrical	Confined spaces, hazardous materials
Physical demand	Moderate	High
Business & LifestyleExpanded data
Path to self employment	Very high. Strong local service demand	Very high. Low barrier to a service business
Union presence	Moderate	Moderate to high (UA)

HVAC TechnicianPlumber

Median annual wage

$61,010

$63,800

Wage range (entry to senior)

$40,050 to $95,210

$44,150 to $108,420

Hourly range (entry to senior)

$19.25 to $45.78/hr

$21.22 to $52.13/hr

Projected job growth

+8% over 10 yrs

+4% over 10 yrs

Market demand

High (9/10)

High (8/10)

Entry path

Trade school plus apprenticeship

Direct apprenticeship

Time to first paid role

6 to 24 months

1 to 3 months

Time to full qualification

2 to 5 years

4 to 5 years

Earn while you learn

Yes. Often pairs trade school with paid field work

Yes. Paid apprenticeship, wage rises with hours logged

State license required

Moderate. EPA Section 608 required, state license varies

Strict. State license plus exam in most states

Core certifications

EPA 608, NATE, OSHA 10

OSHA 10, state journeyman exam, backflow cert in some states

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