Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services at Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, WI · Public · Certificate
TradeSchoolWorth Score (Base Case)
82
Strong Growth
82
Base Case
80
Conservative
Earnings
$79,589/yr (87% vs median)
AI-Proof
AI-Proof (87% shielded)
Job Market
Very Large (125,700 openings/yr)
Future-Proof Earnings
Three scenarios modeling future earnings based on technology adoption rates and job market trends for Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services graduates.
| Strong Growth Full Stability |
Base Case Moderate Changes |
Conservative Max Disruption |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $912K | $831K | $753K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 185.6x | 169.1x | 153.2x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 128.3x | 116.9x | 106.0x |
| Viable Career Paths | 7 of 7 | 7 of 7 | 7 of 7 |
| TradeSchoolWorth Score | 82 | 82 | 80 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as technology and market conditions evolve over time.
Program Tuition (In-State)
$4,916
Out-of-state: $7,109
Career Paths
Where Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 125,700 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers | $78,690 | 74,400 | +5.3% | 57% |
| Rotary drill operators, oil and gas | $65,010 | 1,200 | +0.2% | 95% |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters | $62,970 | 44,000 | +4.5% | 95% |
| Derrick operators, oil and gas | $62,740 | 1,000 | +0.5% | 100% |
| Earth drillers, except oil and gas | $59,600 | 1,700 | +2.9% | 86% |
| Explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters | $59,110 | 500 | -0.9% | 86% |
| Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners | $49,140 | 2,900 | +7.6% | 92% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TradeSchoolWorth Score for Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services at Fox Valley Technical College?
This program scores 82/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 80 (conservative) to 82 (strong growth) depending on market conditions.
How AI-proof is a career in Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services?
We model three scenarios: Strong Growth (full career stability), Base Case (moderate changes), and Conservative (maximum disruption). In the base case, Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services graduates retain 7 of 7 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $753,375 (conservative) to $912,398 (strong growth).
How many job openings are there for Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services graduates?
The career paths mapped to Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services have roughly 125,700 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a very large job market.
Is Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services at Fox Valley Technical College worth it?
In the Base Case, this program earns 169.1x its tuition over 10 years. Even in the Conservative scenario, the multiple is 153.2x. The narrow spread between scenarios shows how stable trade careers are compared to desk jobs.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios model earnings resilience using AI exposure data and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2026.