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Role hub · Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Plumber: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of plumbers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$63,800
Hourly
$30.67
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Plumbers assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. The median pay is $63,800 a year ($30.67 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a post-secondary certificate (43% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$63,800
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
465,840
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 3 of 5
medium preparation
Most common education
Post-Secondary Certificate
43% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (O*NET-SOC 47-2152.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Explore the role

Every page for Plumbers

SalaryPlumber salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomePlumber how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →ResumePlumber resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

Open →Interview questionsPlumber interview questions

Questions with what they test, plus practice mode.

Open →Career changePlumber career change

Where these skills transfer, with skill match and pay change.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What plumbers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.
  2. Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.
  3. Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
  4. Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
  5. Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.
  6. Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints.
  7. Plan pipe system layout, installation, or repair, according to specifications.
  8. Review blueprints, building codes, or specifications to determine work details or procedures.
Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Critical ThinkingcoreTroubleshootingcoreRepairingcoreJudgment and Decision MakingMonitoringCoordinationComplex Problem SolvingOperations MonitoringOperation and Control

Knowledge areas: Building and Construction, Mechanical, Design, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management.

Tools and technology

Software plumbers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • AEC Design Group CADPIPEComputer aided design CAD software
  • Autodesk Building SystemsComputer aided design CAD software
  • Bentley Systems AutoPIPEAnalytical or scientific software
  • COADE CAESAR IIAnalytical or scientific software
  • Drawing and drafting softwareComputer aided design CAD software
  • Elite Software DPIPEAnalytical or scientific software
  • Elite Software FIREAnalytical or scientific software
  • Elite Software HSYMAnalytical or scientific software
  • Elite Software Plumbing CADComputer aided design CAD software
  • Elite Software SpipeAnalytical or scientific software
  • Elite Software Sprinkler CADComputer aided design CAD software
  • Heat loss calculation softwareAnalytical or scientific software

Also called: Pipefitter, Drain Technician, Fire Sprinkler Service Technician, Pipe Welder, Plumbing Installer.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).