Career
Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
Help plumbers and pipefitters on the job.
$42,360
Median pay
+2.4%
Job growth, 2025–35
4,400
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks, pumps, or systems, using hand tools.
- Mount brackets and hangers on walls and ceilings to hold pipes, and set sleeves or inserts to provide support for pipes.
- Perform rough-ins, repair and replace fixtures and water heaters, and locate, repair, or remove leaking or broken pipes.
- Cut pipe and lift up to fitters.
- Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks, pumps, or systems, using hand tools.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though short-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $42,360 a year and 4,400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- NO MATCHCIP 99.9999
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$63,800 · +6.8%
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers$39,630 · +5.3%
- Helpers--Electricians$42,670 · +0.6%
- Helpers--Carpenters$43,780 · -1.7%
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons$40,470 · +1.5%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.