Top 12 Journeyman Plumber Skills to Put on Your Resume
Hiring managers skim fast. Journeyman plumbers who stack their resumes with sharp, real-world skills stand out, get callbacks, and win bigger jobs. Show range, show depth, show proof—and doors open.
Journeyman Plumber Skills
- PEX Systems
- Welding
- Blueprint Reading
- Drainage Systems
- Soldering
- Pipefitting
- Hydro Jetting
- Backflow Testing
- Video Inspection
- Tankless Water Heaters
- Gas Lines
- Water Purification
1. PEX Systems
PEX systems use cross-linked polyethylene piping—flexible, tough, and forgiving with scale and chlorine. Faster runs, fewer fittings, quieter lines. Excellent for hot and cold supply in homes and light commercial work.
Why It's Important
PEX gives a Journeyman Plumber speed without sacrificing reliability. Lower labor, fewer joints, resilient piping—solid value from install to service calls.
How to Improve PEX Systems Skills
Dial in your PEX work with habits that keep leaks away and code officials happy.
Choose quality fittings: Brass or poly-alloy, rated and proven. Avoid off-brand mystery metals.
Protect and insulate: Shield from UV and abrasion; foam sleeves or conduit where risk lurks.
Allow movement: Add expansion loops or sweeping bends so thermal growth doesn’t bully connections.
Support correctly: Secure every 32–48 inches (closer on hot runs). Prevent sag, stop chatter.
Use the right tool: Expansion or crimp per manufacturer. Calibrated, clean, and checked.
Flush thoroughly: Purge debris before placing lines in service.
Track codes and instructions: Follow current plumbing codes and the maker’s install manuals. Details matter.
Keep chemicals away: Store and install far from solvents, petroleum, and harsh cleaners.
Consistent technique turns PEX into a long-haul winner.
How to Display PEX Systems Skills on Your Resume
2. Welding
Welding fuses metals with heat so pipes, brackets, and components become one continuous piece. For plumbers, that often means steel gas lines, hangers, and specialty assemblies. In some shops, you’ll also braze nonferrous tube where code allows.
Why It's Important
Strong, leak-tight joints keep water and gas exactly where they belong. When repairs or custom builds surface, welding chops save the day.
How to Improve Welding Skills
Make your beads cleaner, your results repeatable.
Practice across positions: Flat, horizontal, vertical, overhead—switch materials and thicknesses often.
Match process to job: Stick for dirty steel and outdoor work, MIG for speed, TIG for precision.
Prep like a pro: Fit-up, bevels, clean metal—contaminants ruin welds fast.
Control heat: Watch puddle behavior, travel speed, and amperage to avoid burn-through and warping.
Gear and safety: Rated PPE, ventilation, fire watch, and cylinders secured. No shortcuts.
Feedback loop: Have experienced welders critique your work; x-ray or bend tests where possible.
Credential up: Local codes or shop standards may require certs—earn them and keep them current.
How to Display Welding Skills on Your Resume
3. Blueprint Reading
Blueprint reading means translating symbols, scales, and notes into real pipe in real space. You’re aligning plumbing with architectural, structural, and mechanical plans so everything fits and drains as designed.
Why It's Important
Misread drawings and you burn time, money, and trust. Read them well and your installs sail through inspections.
How to Improve Blueprint Reading Skills
Train your eye; build your mental model.
Master symbols and legends: Fixtures, valves, vents, special piping—know them cold.
Work the scale: Convert dimensions quickly; lay out takeoffs and runs with accuracy.
Cross-check disciplines: Compare plumbing sheets with structural and HVAC to spot clashes early.
Study real sets: Review completed project plans and as-builts; track how design meets reality.
Formal training: Short courses at trade schools or apprenticeship programs sharpen technique.
Repetition: Read diverse plans weekly to build speed and pattern recognition.
How to Display Blueprint Reading Skills on Your Resume
4. Drainage Systems
Drainage systems move wastewater and stormwater away, cleanly and safely. A journeyman installs, vents, traps, tests, and maintains these networks to keep buildings healthy and dry.
Why It's Important
Good drainage prevents backups, odors, and structural damage. Bad drainage does the opposite—fast.
How to Improve Drainage Systems Skills
Small choices ripple into big performance gains.
Inspect and clean: Scope lines, clear debris, and verify flow before you assume pipe replacement.
Size and material: Choose pipe diameters and materials that match load and chemistry; think longevity and serviceability.
Install backwater valves: Critical where municipal surges or heavy rain threaten basements and lower levels.
Pitch correctly: For typical building drains, 1/4 inch per foot up to 3-inch pipe; 1/8 inch per foot for larger lines unless code states otherwise.
Add capture points: Floor drains, area drains, and French drains where water collects—stop ponding before it starts.
Vent smart: Clear, code-compliant venting prevents siphoning and sluggish drains.
Maintenance plan: Set inspection intervals; educate owners on grease, wipes, and hair traps.
How to Display Drainage Systems Skills on Your Resume
5. Soldering
Soldering joins copper and other metals using a filler that wicks into the heated joint and cools into a watertight seal.
Why It's Important
Solid solder work means tight joints, long life, and quiet callbacks.
How to Improve Soldering Skills
Clean prep and heat control win every time.
Surface prep: Bright metal only—clean inside and out with brush or cloth.
Dry fit: Snug, square, fully seated before the torch ever lights.
Flux evenly: Thin, uniform coat on both mating surfaces.
Heat the fitting, not the solder: Let capillary action pull the solder in; chase the heat around the joint.
Don’t quench: Let joints cool naturally to protect strength.
Choose the right solder: Lead-free types matched to water, heating, or gas as code requires.
Practice with purpose: Different sizes, orientations, and heat sinks build control.
Safety: Eye protection, flame shields, fire extinguisher, and a tidy workspace.
How to Display Soldering Skills on Your Resume
6. Pipefitting
Pipefitting covers measuring, cutting, threading, fabricating, and installing piping that carries water, gas, steam, air, or chemicals. You’re reading specs, matching materials, and building systems that hold pressure and perform.
Why It's Important
Precision pipefitting underpins safe, efficient plumbing. When tolerances are tight and loads are high, skill shows.
How to Improve Pipefitting Skills
Sharpen the fundamentals, then refine.
Stay current: New materials, joining methods, and code revisions arrive regularly.
Measure twice, cut once: Layout, squareness, and consistent thread depth prevent rework.
Learn from experts: Workshops, mentorship, and manufacturer trainings pay off quickly.
Stack credentials: Specialty certs (threading, fusion, welding) expand what you can take on.
Use the right tools: Maintain cutters, dies, reamers, and torque tools; dull gear makes bad joints.
Safety first: Lifting, rigging, hot work permits, confined spaces—treat hazards with respect.
How to Display Pipefitting Skills on Your Resume
7. Hydro Jetting
Hydro jetting blasts high-pressure water through nozzles to scour scale, grease, roots, and debris from pipes. Clean walls, restored flow.
Why It's Important
When snakes won’t cut it, jetting clears lines thoroughly and reduces repeat clogs.
How to Improve Hydro Jetting Skills
Control is everything—pressure, nozzle, and technique.
Survey first: Identify pipe size, material, bends, and condition. Choose a strategy before engaging the pump.
Match nozzle to task: Penetrators for blockages, rotary for descaling, grease cutters for fats—swap as conditions change.
Set safe pressures: Use the lowest effective PSI and flow to protect fragile or aged lines.
Maintain the rig: Inspect hoses, swivels, foot pedals, and reels; worn gear causes downtime and danger.
Protect yourself: Gloves, face shield, hearing protection, and clear communication with the team.
Document results: Before-and-after footage and flow tests prove value and guide future maintenance.
Keep learning: Training and refreshers on techniques and equipment keep you sharp.
How to Display Hydro Jetting Skills on Your Resume
8. Backflow Testing
Backflow testing verifies that assemblies keep contaminants from reversing into potable water. Certified testers check function, record results, and protect the supply.
Why It's Important
Clean water hinges on proper containment. Testing prevents cross-connection failures from becoming health hazards.
How to Improve Backflow Testing Skills
Accuracy and compliance drive trust.
Stay trained and certified: Keep credentials current and refresh skills regularly.
Use calibrated instruments: Verify gauges on schedule; treat them like precision tools.
Know the rules: Local and national standards vary—follow the authority having jurisdiction.
Practice the workflow: Standardize steps, from isolation and testing to documentation and tagging.
Shadow experts: Complex installations—fire lines, large campuses—reward experience.
Safety and sanitation: Prevent spills, relieve pressure safely, and avoid contamination during hookups.
How to Display Backflow Testing Skills on Your Resume
9. Video Inspection
Camera inspections send a small waterproof eye through drains and sewers to spot cracks, offsets, roots, bellies, and lost items—without digging.
Why It's Important
Pinpoint problems, propose accurate fixes, and prove your work with recordings. Less guesswork, more clarity.
How to Improve Video Inspection Skills
Better pictures, better findings.
Upgrade wisely: High-resolution heads with adjustable lighting, self-leveling, and locators speed diagnostics.
Use robust software: Organize footage, add annotations, map lines, and export clean reports for clients and inspectors.
Follow a checklist: Entry point, distance tracking, key junctions, and condition notes—consistent runs capture more.
Maintain rigorously: Clean lenses, check pushrods, repair sheath damage, and test transmitters before each job.
Keep learning: New heads, reels, and reporting workflows appear often—stay curious.
Collaborate: Share tricky finds with peers; compare techniques and results.
How to Display Video Inspection Skills on Your Resume
10. Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless units heat water on demand—no storage tank, less standby loss, steady hot water when sized right.
Why It's Important
Space-saving, efficient, and popular. Knowing selection, venting, gas sizing, and maintenance makes you the go-to installer.
How to Improve Tankless Water Heaters Skills
Performance depends on sizing, water quality, and setup.
Size correctly: Match flow rate and temperature rise to peak demand; consider simultaneous fixtures.
Mind gas and power: Verify gas line capacity, venting requirements, and electrical needs before install day.
Flush routinely: Descale based on hardness (often 6–12 months); add isolation valves and service ports on day one.
Place strategically: Short, insulated hot runs reduce wait times and heat loss.
Use low-flow fixtures: Lower demand stabilizes output and boosts efficiency.
Leverage controls: Set temperature limits, schedule recirculation (if present), and educate clients on usage.
Treat the water: Scale filters or conditioners in hard-water regions extend heat exchanger life.
How to Display Tankless Water Heaters Skills on Your Resume
11. Gas Lines
Gas lines deliver natural gas or propane to appliances, heaters, and equipment. Materials vary—black steel, CSST, copper where allowed—installed and tested to strict rules.
Why It's Important
Safety is nonnegotiable. Proper sizing, tight joints, and correct regulators keep systems stable and secure.
How to Improve Gas Lines Skills
Plan meticulously, test relentlessly.
Know the code: Follow adopted fuel gas and mechanical codes plus manufacturer instructions.
Size for demand: Account for BTU loads, line length, fittings, and pressure drop.
Choose approved materials: Rated pipe, listed fittings, bonding for CSST—no compromises.
Leak test every time: Pressure tests and soap solutions; electronic sniffers when appropriate.
Protect routing: Guard against physical damage; sleeve through walls; label clearly.
Vent and combustion air: Verify appliance venting and make-up air to prevent backdrafting.
Document thoroughly: Record pressures, test durations, permits, and as-builts.
How to Display Gas Lines Skills on Your Resume
12. Water Purification
Water purification removes sediments, chemicals, and pathogens using filtration, disinfection, and advanced methods like reverse osmosis or UV. Plumbers install, service, and verify these systems so water meets health standards.
Why It's Important
Safe water underpins health, taste, and appliance longevity. Good treatment keeps contaminants in check and customers confident.
How to Improve Water Purification Skills
Treat the source, match the tech.
Test first: Base system design on actual water analysis—hardness, TDS, chlorine/chloramine, iron, microbes.
Layer filtration: Sediment prefilters, activated carbon, then RO or specialty media as needed; UV for disinfection when appropriate.
Maintain on schedule: Filter changes, membrane checks, sanitization, and leak inspections keep performance steady.
Optimize settings: Dial in pressures, flow restrictors, and storage tank pre-charge for consistent output.
Add monitoring: Inline TDS meters, pressure gauges, and smart alerts catch problems early.
Educate users: Explain service intervals, cartridge types, and what each stage actually does.
How to Display Water Purification Skills on Your Resume
