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.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
About these figures. BLS publishes wages, growth, openings and typical education for this occupation as a whole (SOC 47-2152); 1 related specialty shares them.
State licensing. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters is licensed or registered in 45 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. Federal credentials are listed as well. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 23 professional certifications to Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. 5 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Commercial Plumbing Inspector (CPI), Journey Level Pipefitter-Steamfitter, Plumber Assessment, Plumbing, UPC Journeyman Plumber. Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. On average, workers stand or walk about 7.1 hours and sit about 1.3 hours per day. The typical heaviest weight lifted or carried is about 50.0 pounds. For 48.2% of workers the job requires medium strength. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (62.5%), have a consistently fast work pace (30.6%), cannot pause their work (50.2%), and are exposed to the outdoors (88.3%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round workers ages 25 to 64 in the occupation group that includes plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (2 related careers are counted together), median yearly pay is $60,900 with a high school diploma or GED, $71,100 with some college or an associate's degree, $76,100 with a bachelor's degree and $81,200 with a master's degree or higher (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of workers in the occupation group that includes plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (2 related careers are counted together) work in Construction (81%), Utilities (5%), Manufacturing (4%) and Administrative, Support and Waste Management (2%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most workers in the occupation group that includes plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (2 related careers are counted together) are Building Equipment Contractors (75% of the jobs counted, median pay $63,110), Utility System Construction (3% of the jobs counted, median pay $61,400), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (3% of the jobs counted, median pay $66,200), Nonresidential Building Construction (2% of the jobs counted, median pay $71,220) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Nonresidential Building Construction ($71,220), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals ($66,200), Building Equipment Contractors ($63,110). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
What workers studied. Among workers in the occupation group that includes plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (2 related careers are counted together) with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Business Management and Administration (9%), General Business (6%), Criminal Justice and Fire Protection (5%) and Marketing and Marketing Research (5%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Injury and illness rates. For the occupation group that includes plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (2 related careers are counted together) (BLS category "Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters"), employers reported 150.0 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 8 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Construction and extraction", which includes this career, 16.4% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,561 for union members and $1,004 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Natural resources, construction, and maintenance", which includes this career, 74% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 79% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 78% had paid sick leave, 86% paid vacation and 89% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $48.59 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Natural resources, construction, and maintenance" in June 2026 ($32.96 in wages and salaries and $15.63 in benefits, 32.2% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are: wear common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets (100%), spend time standing (96%), spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls (95%), time pressure (92%), impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (92%), exposed to contaminants (90%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (57% of 38 respondents) was "over 4 years, up to and including 6 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (33% of 37 respondents) was "over 4 years, up to and including 10 years"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (33% of 37 respondents) was "over 4 years, up to and including 10 years". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in the work done and the skills used: Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, Boilermakers, Pipelayers, Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners, Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter
CIP 46.0502
Plumbing Technology/Plumber
CIP 46.0503