Plumber Apprentice job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

11

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

O*NET-SOC 47-3015.00

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$42,360

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (O*NET-SOC 47-3015.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Plumber Apprentice” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: O*NET's Sample of Reported Titles (titles job holders report), O*NET job-incumbent data and employer job postings). Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks, pumps, or systems, using hand tools. importance 4.4 of 5
2. Mount brackets and hangers on walls and ceilings to hold pipes, and set sleeves or inserts to provide support for pipes. importance 4.3 of 5
3. Perform rough-ins, repair and replace fixtures and water heaters, and locate, repair, or remove leaking or broken pipes. importance 4.3 of 5
4. Cut pipe and lift up to fitters. importance 4.2 of 5
5. Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports. importance 4.2 of 5
6. Assist pipe fitters in the layout, assembly, and installation of piping for air, ammonia, gas, and water systems. importance 4.2 of 5
7. Requisition tools and equipment, select type and size of pipe, and collect and transport materials and equipment to work site. importance 4.1 of 5
8. Disassemble and remove damaged or worn pipe. importance 4.0 of 5
9. Cut or drill holes in walls or floors to accommodate the passage of pipes. importance 4.0 of 5
10. Clean shop, work area, and machines, using solvent and rags. importance 3.8 of 5
11. Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service. importance 3.6 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Getting Information, Handling and Moving Objects and Thinking Creatively.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Immerse pipe in chemical solution to remove dirt, oil, and scale.
• Clean and renew steam traps.
• Fill pipes with sand or resin to prevent distortion, and hold pipes during bending and installation.
• Install gas burners to convert furnaces from wood, coal, or oil.

Knowledge areas: Building and Construction, Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical, Mathematics and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Job title: Plumber Apprentice
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Plumber Apprentice to help plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, or pipelayers by performing duties requiring less skill.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in judgment and decision making, active listening and critical thinking
- Working knowledge of Building and Construction and Customer and Personal Service
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, the median annual wage was $42,360 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $20.36. BLS estimates about 44,330 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters to grow 2.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,400 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real plumber apprentice posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only plumber apprentice work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (judgment and decision making and active listening): a real situation, what you did and what changed.