Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
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.
Most important skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Coordination
- Active Learning
- Complex Problem Solving
- Repairing
Key knowledge
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
What the work involves
- Cut or drill holes in walls or floors to accommodate the passage of pipes.
- Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports.
- Mount brackets and hangers on walls and ceilings to hold pipes, and set sleeves or inserts to provide support for pipes.
- Requisition tools and equipment, select type and size of pipe, and collect and transport materials and equipment to work site.
- Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks, pumps, or systems, using hand tools.
- Assist pipe fitters in the layout, assembly, and installation of piping for air, ammonia, gas, and water systems.
- Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service.
- Cut pipe and lift up to fitters.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Social.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (48.7% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (38.4%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (28.1%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | High | Higher on contact with others than 72% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 71% of occupations compared | — |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 63% of occupations compared | — |
| Freedom to make decisions | Moderate | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 55% of occupations compared | 50% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Higher on time pressure than 55% of occupations compared | — |
| Conflict situations | Moderate | Higher on conflict situations than 54% of occupations compared | 28% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 74% of occupations compared | 28% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Consequence of error | Moderate | Lower on consequence of error than 53% of occupations compared | 35% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: moderate
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
- Consequence of error: moderate
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Occasional contact with others: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Contact with others about half the time: 1.36%
- Contact with others most of the time: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Constant contact with others: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Fairly important: 14.69%
- Important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Very important: 20.19%
- Extremely important: 14.69%
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Teamwork
- Not important at all: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Fairly important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Very important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Extremely important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Very little freedom: 13.33%
- Limited freedom: 15.25%
- Some freedom: 21.55%
- A lot of freedom: 49.86%
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Time pressure
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Conflict situations
- Never: 18.54%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 20.19%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 28.02%
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: 13.33%
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: 27.05%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 28.02%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 13.33%
- Every day: 3.85%
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Fairly serious: 34.88%
- Serious: 12.07%
- Very serious: 26.66%
- Extremely serious: 13.33%
n = 12, Incumbent 08/2026
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O*NET-SOC 47-3015.00 · SOC 47-3015 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8