Plumber vs Certified Nursing Assistant
People don't usually pick between Plumber and Certified Nursing Assistant fresh out of high school — it's a switch. The question is which transition actually pays back the retraining cost, and the answer depends on your state's wage market.
payments Salary
Salary edge
Plumbers earn $23,440 more per year at the median. That's roughly $1,953/month before taxes — a gap that compounds over a career but needs to be weighed against any difference in training time or upfront costs.
State-by-state pay
| State | Plumber | Certified Nursing Assistant | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $93,110 | $48,390 | +44,720 |
| Illinois | $96,200 | $44,750 | +51,450 |
| Alaska | $83,090 | $45,840 | +37,250 |
| Minnesota | $83,280 | $45,580 | +37,700 |
| District of Columbia | $81,950 | $46,860 | +35,090 |
| Massachusetts | $83,260 | $45,410 | +37,850 |
| Washington | $79,070 | $48,260 | +30,810 |
| New York | $78,460 | $47,390 | +31,070 |
| Hawaii | $78,540 | $44,830 | +33,710 |
| New Jersey | $77,160 | $44,910 | +32,250 |
checklist Requirements at a glance
| Factor | Plumber | Certified Nursing Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Typical time | 4 years | 4-8 weeks |
| Est. total cost | $250 | — |
| Exam | Iowa Journeyman Plumber Examination | National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) via Credentia |
| License required | Many states | Most states |
| Education | High school diploma or GED | 75-hour state-approved training program |
| CE hours / cycle | 9 hrs | 20 hrs |
Barrier to entry
Timeline differs: Plumber typically takes 4 years, while Certified Nursing Assistant takes 4-8 weeks.
trending_up Job market
Market outlook
Growth projections are similar — Plumber at +4.5% and Certified Nursing Assistant at +2.3%. Certified Nursing Assistant has significantly more annual openings (204,100 vs 44,000). Practically, that translates to more places you can realistically land a job without relocating to a specific metro.
flag Bottom line
Plumber wins on pay by $23,440 at the median — about $1,953/month before taxes. Small on a paycheck-to-paycheck basis; large over a career, and worth pressure-testing against the training-time difference.
Clock time to credential: 4 years for Plumber, 4-8 weeks for Certified Nursing Assistant. Your answer to 'is the longer path worth it' depends mostly on how much your current income replaces what you'd earn while in school.
Frequently asked questions
Which pays better: plumber or certified nursing assistant? expand_more
Which is harder to get into, plumber or certified nursing assistant? expand_more
Is plumber or certified nursing assistant more in demand? expand_more
Do both plumber and certified nursing assistant require state licenses? expand_more
Explore each career
More comparisons
source Sources
- Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), most recent annual release.
- Career outlook and annual openings: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
- Licensing requirements: compiled per-state from primary state licensing boards; per-state sources are cited on each Plumber and Certified Nursing Assistant state page.
See our full methodology for data refresh schedule and known limitations. Updated 2026.