Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Construction and Extraction · SOC 47-2152
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 47-2152 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 1.2%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 55/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $63,800
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 66,100
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +4.5%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 80,642 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
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AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Drain Technician, Fire Sprinkler Service Technician, Pipe Welder, Pipefitter, Plumber, Plumbing Installer
Representative Tasks
- •Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.
- •Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.
- •Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
- •Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
- •Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Install plumbing or piping.
- •Maintain plumbing structures or fixtures.
- •Weld metal components.
- •Mark reference points on construction materials.
- •Measure materials or objects for installation or assembly.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 70% Bright |
| Median Salary | $63,800 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 99/100 | N/A |