Plumber, Pipefitter, & Steamfitters
Plumber, Pipefitter, & Steamfitters
Career Overview
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install, maintain, and repair piping systems that carry water, gases, steam, chemicals, fuel, and other materials. They work on everything from residential plumbing to large commercial, industrial, and building systems. The career combines hands-on skills, problem-solving, technology, and an understanding of how complex systems work.
Education
A high school diploma or equivalent is usually the starting point, followed by an apprenticeship or technical training. Plumber and Steamfitter/Pipefitter are Red Seal trades in Canada, with apprenticeship training combining classroom learning and supervised, hands-on experience. Licensing or certification requirements vary by location.
Work Environment
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters work in homes, businesses, construction sites, factories, plants, and other facilities. The work can involve indoor and outdoor conditions, tight spaces, ladders, heavy materials, and specialized tools. Some workers respond to emergencies, so evenings, weekends, or overtime may be part of the job.
Future Outlook
These skilled trades should remain important as buildings, infrastructure, manufacturing facilities, and energy systems are built, upgraded, and maintained. Modern construction and industrial systems are also creating opportunities for workers who understand energy efficiency, advanced equipment, and new technologies. In the U.S., employment is projected to grow 4% from 2024–2034, with about 44,000 openings per year.
Recommended High School Courses
- Math
- Physics
- Welding
- Technology
- Technical Drawing
- Construction Tech
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Auditory Attention - The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
- Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Depth Perception - The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
- Extent Flexibility - The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
- Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Gross Body Coordination - The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
- Gross Body Equilibrium - The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Reaction Time - The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
- Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
- Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
- Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Cut metal components for installation.
- Fabricate parts or components.
- Create construction or installation diagrams.
- Install plumbing or piping.
- Weld metal components.
- Mark reference points on construction materials.
- Measure materials or objects for installation or assembly.
- Inspect plumbing systems or fixtures.
- Plan layout of construction, installation, or repairs.
- Maintain plumbing structures or fixtures.
- Clean equipment or facilities.
- Select construction materials.
- Drill holes in construction materials.
- Install gauges or controls.
- Remove worn, damaged or outdated materials from work areas.
- Inspect work sites to identify potential environmental or safety hazards.
- Install green plumbing or water handling systems.
- Test green technology installations to verify performance.
- Estimate construction project costs.
- Operate pumps or compressors.
Schools
Aidt Maritime Training Ce...
Alaska Vocational Technic...
Atlanta Technical College
Bakersfield College- Pano...
Brazosport College
Columbus State Community...
Diablo Valley College
Emily Griffith Technical...
Iḷisaġvik College
Interior Alaska Campus
Montana State University-...
Thaddeus Stevens College...
William R. Moore College...
Yuut Elitnaurviat
Academy Canada- St. Jo...
Aurora College
Boreal College- Sudbur...
Carlton Trail Regional...
College Of The North A...
College Of The North A...
Conestoga College- Wat...
Durham College- Whitby...
Fanshawe College- Lond...
Grande Prairie Regiona...
Holland College
Keyano College- Suncor...
Keyin College
Kwantlen Polytechnic U...
Lakeland College- Verm...
Mohawk College- Stoney...
New Brunswick Communit...
New Brunswick Communit...
New Brunswick Communit...
Nicola Valley Institut...
North Island College-...
North West College- Me...
Northern Alberta Insti...
Northern Lights Colleg...
Northern Lights Colleg...
Nova Scotia Community...
Nova Scotia Community...
Nova Scotia Community...
Nova Scotia Community...
Nova Scotia Community...
Nova Scotia Community...
Okanagan College- Pent...
Red Deer College- Main...
Saskatchewan Polytechn...
Ua Piping Industry Col...
Yukon University
Approx Salary Expectation
Low End:
$44,000.00 /yr
Avg/Med:
$64,000.00 /yr
High End:
$108,000.00 /yr
Related Careers
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.