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Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. May install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems. Includes sprinkler fitters.

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.

High 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 $63,800 Median per year · $30.67/hr Most earn $44,150–$108,420

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Install fixtures, appliances, or equipment designed to reduce water or energy consumption.
  • Cut openings in structures to accommodate pipes or pipe fittings, using hand or power tools.
  • Inspect structures to assess material or equipment needs, to establish the sequence of pipe installations, or to plan installation around obstructions, such as electrical wiring.
  • Install pipe systems to support alternative energy-fueled systems, such as geothermal heating or cooling systems.
  • Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
  • Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
7% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 42,000 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 contractors65.1%
  • Self-employed (their own business)8.0%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals2.3%
  • Nonresidential building construction2.1%

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

On-siteExperience before this job: 4 to 6 years

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: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Plumbing and pipefitting usually isn't a job you walk into straight out of school. Most people start as helpers and then complete an apprenticeship, which together often take about 4 to 6 years before they work as a journeyman.

  1. High school diploma or GED

    4 years

    Build a foundation in math, science, and hands-on shop or technical classes, which make apprenticeship applications and on-the-job learning easier.

  2. Plumbing or Pipefitting Helper

    6 months to 1 year

    Assist experienced plumbers and pipefitters with carrying materials, cutting and threading pipe, and cleaning up job sites while you learn the trade and decide if it suits you.

  3. Plumbing or Pipefitting Apprentice

    4 to 5 years

    Combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction, often through a union or contractor program, until you have logged enough hours and passed the required tests.

  4. Journeyman Plumber or Pipefitter

    Ongoing

    Install, alter, and repair water, steam, gas, and other piping systems on your own, often working toward a state license.

Where it can lead

  1. Plumbing or Pipefitting Foreman

    2 to 4 years as a journeyman of experience first

    You lead a crew, read blueprints, plan work, and make sure jobs meet code and schedule, which takes strong skills in both the trade and communication.

  2. Master Plumber

    Several years as a journeyman of experience first

    You earn the top licensing level, which in many places allows you to pull permits, supervise other plumbers, and run your own contracting business. Requirements vary by state or locality.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, drafting, or industrial technology classesHands-on practice with tools and reading plans gives you a head start on the skills apprentices use.
  • Take math classes, especially geometry and algebraPipe measurements, angles, and pressure calculations rely on these skills.
  • Join a career and technical student organizationGroups focused on skilled trades can build your teamwork, leadership, and familiarity with the field.
  • Look for a summer job on a construction or landscaping crewAny job on a job site teaches you safety habits and how work crews operate.
  • Talk to a plumber or pipefitterAsk a local tradesperson about their path, and whether they'd let you shadow them for a day if your school allows it.

In college

  • Take math and physical science coursesAlgebra, physics, and basic chemistry help you understand pressure, flow, and materials, which matter in the trade.
  • Get a job as a helper or on a construction crewPaid hands-on experience shows apprenticeship programs that you can handle physical work and follow safety rules.
  • Earn basic certifications such as OSHA 10-hour construction safetyMany employers and apprenticeship programs value safety training, and it's usually a short course.
  • Apply to apprenticeship programs earlyMany programs have application windows and entrance tests, so applying early helps you get a spot sooner.

Tips for getting started

  • Look up local apprenticeship programs through unions, trade associations, or contractors, and ask a high school counselor about applying while you're still a senior.
  • Get comfortable with basic math, especially measurements and fractions, since you'll use them every day on the job.
  • Show up on time, ask questions, and keep a clean work habit. Helpers who are reliable are often the ones chosen for apprenticeships.

Related jobs that often lead here

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.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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