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.
465,840 people do this job in the US. $63,800 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 24%
- 0%
- 76%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 12%. Today's estimate: 16%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 30 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Install pipe systems to support alternative energy-fueled systems, such as geothermal heating or cooling systems.Done daily by most who do it. | 18% | 2.5 work days6.7 h to 1 work week | Stays with people | |
| Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints.Done daily by most who do it. | 12% | 3.3 h1.7 h to 6.7 h | 49%Half by now | |
| Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 11% | 1.3 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | Stays with people | |
| Install pipe assemblies, fittings, valves, appliances such as dishwashers or water heaters, or fixtures such as sinks or toilets, using hand or power tools.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 h38 min to 4.2 h | Stays with people | |
| Plan pipe system layout, installation, or repair, according to specifications.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h50 min to 3.3 h | 90%Half by now | |
| Direct helpers engaged in pipe cutting, preassembly, or installation of plumbing systems or components.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 50 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Maintain or repair plumbing by replacing defective washers, replacing or mending broken pipes, or opening clogged drains.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 33 min13 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Modify, clean, or maintain pipe systems, units, fittings, or related machines or equipment, using hand or power tools.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Anchor steel supports from ceiling joists to hold pipes in place.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 50 min25 min to 2.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Weld small pipes or special piping, using specialized techniques, equipment, or materials, such as computer-assisted welding or microchip fabrication.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 3% | 2.5 h1.3 h to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 38 min13 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters0% now, 0% by 2028
- Boilermakers3% now, 3% by 2028
- Pipelayers0% now, 0% by 2028
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General5% now, 15% by 2028
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners6% now, 6% by 2028
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door1% now, 1% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).