Plumbing Inspectors

ANZSCO ID 312115

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
340
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
93%
Female Share
4%
Average age
53

Summary

Plumbing Inspectors inspect plumbing work to ensure compliance with relevant standards and regulations.

Specialisations: Drainage Inspector, Gas Plumbing Inspector, Sanitary Plumbing and Water Supply Inspector.

A certificate III in plumbing and a trade background in plumbing is usually needed to work as a Plumbing Inspector.

Tasks

  • Inspects work and materials for compliance with specifications, regulations and standards.


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Architectural, Building & Surveying Technicians, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 93% of people employed as Plumbing Inspectors work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 27 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 40 hours per week in their main job. This is 4 hours less than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Public Administration and Safety
71.0%
2
Construction
14.1%
3
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
5.3%
4
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
3.5%
5
Other industries
2.1%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

14.2% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

15.8% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

57.3% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

2.7% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

4.5% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.8% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.9% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

2.7% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Plumbing Inspectors All Jobs Average
NSW 14.2 31.6
VIC 15.8 25.6
QLD 57.3 20.0
SA 2.7 7.0
WA 4.5 10.8
TAS 1.8 2.0
NT 0.9 1.0
ACT 2.7 1.9


  • Around 59% of Plumbing Inspectors live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Queensland has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
53
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
4%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Plumbing Inspectors is 53 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 4% of the workforce. This is 44 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Plumbing Inspectors All Jobs Average
15-19 0.8 5.0
20-24 1.7 9.3
25-34 9.1 22.9
35-44 14.7 22.0
45-54 32.0 21.6
55-59 19.5 9.0
60-64 15.3 6.0
65 and Over 6.8 4.2
Median Age 53 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A certificate III in plumbing and a trade background in plumbing is usually needed to work as a Plumbing Inspector.

Registration or licencing may be required.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Construction, Plumbing and Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Plumbing Inspectors All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 0.0 10.1
Bachelor degree 3.8 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 10.7 11.6
Certificate III/IV 77.1 21.1
Year 12 3.8 18.1
Year 11 1.9 4.8
Year 10 and below 2.8 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Architectural, Building & Surveying Technicians who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 57%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 54%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 52%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 50%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 48%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 48%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 48%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 48%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 46%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 46%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 45%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 43%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 43%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 43%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 43%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 41%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 41%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 39%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 36%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 79%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 73%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 64%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 63%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 59%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 57%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 54%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 53%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 52%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 48%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 48%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 47%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 45%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 45%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 39%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 39%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 31%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 30%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 28%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 26%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 59%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 57%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 57%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 55%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 55%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 54%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 52%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 48%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 48%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 46%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 45%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 45%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 45%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 45%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 45%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 43%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 41%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 73%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 65%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 65%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 61%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 61%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 61%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 60%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 60%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 60%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 58%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 58%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 57%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 56%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 56%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 55%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 52%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 51%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 50%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 46%

    Providing office support

    Doing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.

  • 44%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 86%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 67%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 38%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 19%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 81%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 71%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 64%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 62%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 62%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 52%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 98%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 97%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 94%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 92%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 88%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 88%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

  • 85%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 84%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 84%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 82%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 82%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 81%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 80%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 80%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 79%

    Bright or inadequate lighting

    Work in extremely bright or dark lighting conditions.

  • 79%

    Outdoors, under cover

    Work outdoors, under cover (e.g., in an open shed).

  • 78%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 78%

    Work at heights

    Work in high places (e.g., on poles, scaffolding, catwalks, or ladders).

  • 73%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 73%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-4011.00 - Construction and Building Inspectors.


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