Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
SOC Code: 47-2152
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters carries a 27% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $62,970 and +4.5% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 504,500 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 27% AI exposure, Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters sits 10 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 22% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
69/100
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage C $62,970
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B +4.5%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B+ 27% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
27% Among the lowest lower than 78% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 47-2152) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Registered Apprenticeship Pathway Available
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is a recognized registered apprenticeship occupation under the DOL RAPIDS system. Earn while you train, apprentices typically start at ~$16/hr and reach $28–$46/hr upon completion, depending on the specific trade and region.
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Test operation or functionality of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and control systems.
- 2. Apply weather seal, such as pipe flashings and sealants, to roof penetrations and structural devices.
- 3. Install solar collector mounting devices on tile, asphalt, shingle, or built-up gravel roofs, using appropriate materials and penetration methods.
- 4. Install copper or plastic plumbing using pipes, fittings, pipe cutters, acetylene torches, solder, wire brushes, sand cloths, flux, plastic pipe cleaners, or plastic glue.
- 5. Identify plumbing, electrical, environmental, or safety hazards associated with solar thermal installations.
- 6. Demonstrate start-up, shut-down, maintenance, diagnostic, and safety procedures to thermal system owners.
- 7. Install circulating pumps using pipe, fittings, soldering equipment, electrical supplies, and hand tools.
- 8. Install flat-plat, evacuated glass, or concentrating solar collectors on mounting devices, using brackets or struts.
- 9. Install solar thermal system controllers and sensors.
- 10. Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.
Key Skills Required
- Installation
- Reading Comprehension
- Quality Control Analysis
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Troubleshooting
- Judgment and Decision Making
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Design
- Public Safety and Security
- Computers and Electronics
- Production and Processing
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters has an AI exposure score of 27%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is projected to grow by 4.5% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 504,500 workers.
What skills are needed for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Key skills for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters include Installation, Reading Comprehension, Quality Control Analysis, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earn?
The median annual wage for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is $62,970, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
The typical entry-level education for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Apprenticeship. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (27% here).
- Civil engineers · AI exposure 27%
- Clinical and counseling psychologists · AI exposure 27%
- Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders · AI exposure 27%
- Concierges · AI exposure 27%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+4.5% here).
- Carpenters · growth +4.5%
- Dancers · growth +4.5%
- Health education specialists · growth +4.5%
- Helpers--carpenters · growth +4.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 43 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).