Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
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.
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Coordination
- Complex Problem Solving
Key knowledge
- Building and Construction
- Mechanical
- Design
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Engineering and Technology
- Public Safety and Security
What the work involves
- Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.
- Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints.
- Inspect, examine, or test installed systems or pipe lines, using pressure gauge, hydrostatic testing, observation, or other methods.
- Plan pipe system layout, installation, or repair, according to specifications.
- Attach pipes to walls, structures, or fixtures, such as radiators or tanks, using brackets, clamps, tools, or welding equipment.
- Modify, clean, or maintain pipe systems, units, fittings, or related machines or equipment, using hand or power tools.
- Select pipe sizes, types, or related materials, such as supports, hangers, or hydraulic cylinders, according to specifications.
- Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Post-Secondary Certificate (43.3% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (56.9%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 4 years, up to and including 10 years (32.8%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for 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 | Low | Lower on contact with others than 69% of occupations compared | 54% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 65% of occupations compared | 27% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | Low | Lower on teamwork than 67% of occupations compared | 44% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 72% of occupations compared | 61% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very high | Higher on time pressure than 80% of occupations compared | 57% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 60% of occupations compared | 36% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 56% of occupations compared | 58% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Consequence of error | Moderate | Higher on consequence of error than 52% of occupations compared | 29% of surveyed respondents chose “Not serious at all” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very high
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- 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: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 16.82%
- Contact with others about half the time: 9.31%
- Contact with others most of the time: 19.44%
- Constant contact with others: 54.43%
n = 45, Incumbent 08/2022
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 24.46%
- Fairly important: 16.75%
- Important: 15.99%
- Very important: 16.11%
- Extremely important: 26.68%
n = 45, Incumbent 08/2022
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 9.45%
- Important: 20.24%
- Very important: 26.51%
- Extremely important: 43.81%
n = 45, Incumbent 08/2022
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 1.3%
- Very little freedom: 5.78%
- Limited freedom: 7.67%
- Some freedom: 24.58%
- A lot of freedom: 60.68%
n = 45, Incumbent 08/2022
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 7.82%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 56.97%
- Every day: 35.21%
n = 44, Incumbent 08/2022
Conflict situations
- Never: 19.19%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 35.99%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 10.47%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 25.01%
- Every day: 9.34%
n = 43, Incumbent 08/2022
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 10.51%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 22.1%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 58.3%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 9.09%
- Every day: 0%
n = 44, Incumbent 08/2022
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 28.87%
- Fairly serious: 9.28%
- Serious: 15.99%
- Very serious: 23.32%
- Extremely serious: 22.54%
n = 45, Incumbent 08/2022
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O*NET-SOC 47-2152.00 · SOC 47-2152 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8