Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Construction and Extraction
Shuts off water, steam, or gas, then cuts, threads, bends, and joins pipe with couplings, solder, or welds. Jobs range from underground storm and water lines to indoor fixtures, heating and cooling equipment, and sprinkler systems. Layouts come from blueprints and building codes; positions are marked with rulers and levels before holes are cut. Finding and fixing faults is part of the work when a system fails. It suits people who like hands-on repair, reading drawings, and building pipe runs that must match the plans.
Typical education: Post-Secondary Certificate (vocational/technical)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$63'800
Median Wage Market Position
$63'800
What you might do
- Install piping for water, steam, and fixtures
- Join pipe sections with fittings, solder, or welds
- Cut, thread, or bend pipes to fit
- Shut off water or steam before opening pipes
- Mark where pipes and fixtures will go
- Plan layouts from blueprints and building codes
Skills that matter
- Finding and fixing leaking pipe joints
- Cutting, threading, and bending pipe to fit
- Planning runs from blueprints and codes
- Isolating water or steam before a repair
- Walking the crew through shutoffs and hookups
- Comparing assembled lines to the layout
AI & the future of this role
Much of the work is diagnosing leaks, fitting systems in tight spaces, and making judgment calls under licensing and liability rules. AI might help with codes or parts lookup, but in-person repair and install skills are likely to remain hard to substitute.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details