Construction and Extraction · Holland code RC

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.

Also called: Pipefitter Helper, Plumber Helper, Plumbing Apprentice, Plumbing Helper, Plumber Apprentice, Plumber Assistant, Plumbing Residential Apprentice.

O*NET 47-3015.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $42,360; Middle half earn $36,940 to $47,720. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 49% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks, pumps, or systems, using hand tools.
Mount brackets and hangers on walls and ceilings to hold pipes, and set sleeves or inserts to provide support for pipes.
Perform rough-ins, repair and replace fixtures and water heaters, and locate, repair, or remove leaking or broken pipes.
Cut pipe and lift up to fitters.
Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports.
Assist pipe fitters in the layout, assembly, and installation of piping for air, ammonia, gas, and water systems.
Requisition tools and equipment, select type and size of pipe, and collect and transport materials and equipment to work site.
Disassemble and remove damaged or worn pipe.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Active Listening2.9 / 5
Critical Thinking2.9 / 5
Monitoring2.9 / 5
Active Learning2.6 / 5
Speaking2.5 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.4 / 5

Knowledge areas

Building and Construction4.5 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.7 / 5
Mechanical3.6 / 5
Mathematics3.5 / 5
English Language3.3 / 5
Administration and Management3.1 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic99
Investigative6
Artistic0
Social14
Enterprising4
Conventional44

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

pipeline maintenance worker · DE Rohrnetzinstandhalter/Rohrnetzinstandhalterin · FR ouvrier de maintenance tuyauterie/ouvrière de maintenance tuyauterie
plumber · DE Gas- und Sanitärinstallateur/Gas- und Sanitärinstallateurin · FR plombier/plombière

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Pipe fitters (5214)3,700 employed
Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers (5315)153,700 employed
Construction operatives n.e.c. (8159)85,400 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.68. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (47-3015).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test