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Career

Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Help plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, or pipelayers by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $42,360 Median per year · $20.36/hr Most earn $33,590–$57,780

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Cut pipe and lift up to fitters.
  • Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service.
  • Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports.
  • Disassemble and remove damaged or worn pipe.
  • Perform rough-ins, repair and replace fixtures and water heaters, and locate, repair, or remove leaking or broken pipes.
  • Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 4,400 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors85.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

This is an entry-level job. Many people start right after high school, and a typical worker has about 6 months to 1 year of related experience before taking it on.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school and take math, shop, and technical classes. This gives you the basic skills and the diploma most employers ask for.

  2. General Construction Laborer

    6 months to 1 year

    Work on a job site doing general labor such as carrying materials, cleaning, and setting up tools. This teaches you how a building site runs and how to work safely around trades.

  3. Plumber's Helper

    Entry-level role

    Help plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters by handing them tools and materials, holding pipes in place, and keeping the work area clean. Watching skilled tradespeople closely is how you learn the trade and decide whether to apply for an apprenticeship.

Where it can lead

  1. Plumber

    6 months to 1 year as a helper of experience first

    Move into skilled installation and repair work, usually by joining an apprenticeship where you learn while you work. Most people in this path get into the apprenticeship first, then work toward full skill and certification.

  2. Pipelayer

    1 to 2 years of related work of experience first

    Install pipes for water, sewer, or other systems, often outdoors on construction sites. This is a related trade that builds on the same hands-on skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop or technical classesClasses like metal shop, welding, or woodworking teach you to use tools and read basic plans, which helps on any trade job site.
  • Take math classesMeasurement, fractions, and geometry are used every day when cutting and fitting pipe.
  • Get a starter jobA part-time job doing yard work, moving furniture, or helping at a hardware store builds work habits and comfort with tools.
  • Volunteer on a building projectHelping with a community build, a Habitat for Humanity style project, or a school repair day shows you what job sites are like.
  • Join a career or trade clubGroups like SkillsUSA or a school construction club often include hands-on activities and contact with local trade professionals.

In college

  • Take courses in construction or trade technologyClasses in construction methods, blueprint reading, or building systems give you a head start on the technical side of the work.
  • Work a summer job on a job siteWorking as a laborer or helper during breaks gives you real experience and a reference for future apprenticeship applications.
  • Ask about apprenticeship programsContact local plumbing and pipefitting unions or contractors to learn how apprenticeship applications work and what they expect from applicants.
  • Get basic safety trainingCompleting a job site safety course, such as OSHA-style training if your school or town offers it, shows employers you take safety seriously.
  • Learn to use basic tools and read plansPracticing with hand tools and simple blueprints makes it easier to keep up with skilled workers from day one.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a local plumbing, pipefitting, or steamfitting company whether they hire helpers or take summer workers, and ask what the apprenticeship application process looks like.
  • Take math, especially measurement and geometry, and any shop or drafting class. Trades use these skills every day.
  • Show up on time, keep your work area clean, and ask questions. Employers notice these habits quickly and often remember them when apprenticeship spots open up.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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