What is a Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, or Steamfitter Helper?

Job Description & Duties 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.

Life as a Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, or Steamfitter Helper: What Do They Do?

• Clean shop, work area, and machines, using solvent and rags.
• Requisition tools and equipment, select type and size of pipe, and collect and transport materials and equipment to work site.
• Perform rough-ins, repair and replace fixtures and water heaters, and locate, repair, or remove leaking or broken pipes.
• Fill pipes with sand or resin to prevent distortion, and hold pipes during bending and installation.
• Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service.
• Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks, pumps, or systems, using hand tools.

Skills Needed to be a Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, or Steamfitter Helper

When polled, Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter Helpers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

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.

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.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Types of Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter Helpers

• Pipefitter
• Plumbing Assistant
• Sprinkler Repair Technician
• Hydraulic Plumber Helper
• Plumbing Helper

What Kind of Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, or Steamfitter Helper Job Opportunities Are There?

There were about 55,500 jobs for Helpers–Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in 2016 (in the United States).

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 18.6% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 10,300 new jobs for Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter Helpers by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 9,500 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Helpers–Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters are Texas, Florida, and New York.

Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Vermont, or Hawaii. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

How Much Does a Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, or Steamfitter Helper Make?

The typical yearly salary for Helpers–Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters is somewhere between $21,860 and $46,200. The median salary is $30,980.

How much do Helpers–Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters make in different U.S. states?

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alaska	$48,400
Missouri	$39,750
Washington	$39,000
Hawaii	$38,660
District of Columbia	$38,000
New York	$37,960
Connecticut	$37,010
Minnesota	$36,550
Kansas	$36,150
Illinois	$35,780
Nebraska	$35,720
Massachusetts	$35,510
Louisiana	$35,440
Wisconsin	$35,400
Pennsylvania	$35,290
New Jersey	$35,110
Colorado	$35,060
Oklahoma	$34,710
Montana	$34,690
California	$34,500
Rhode Island	$34,050
Wyoming	$33,680
Utah	$33,130
Tennessee	$32,960
Oregon	$32,870
Texas	$32,780
Arizona	$32,730
Iowa	$32,550
New Mexico	$32,300
Arkansas	$31,960
New Hampshire	$31,830
Indiana	$31,470
North Dakota	$31,460
West Virginia	$31,130
Virginia	$30,910
Ohio	$30,880
Michigan	$30,710
Maryland	$30,170
South Carolina	$29,780
North Carolina	$29,730
Kentucky	$29,650
Nevada	$29,200
Maine	$29,090
Georgia	$28,990
Delaware	$28,770
Florida	$28,570
Vermont	$28,290
Mississippi	$27,690
South Dakota	$27,200
Alabama	$26,970
Idaho	$26,780

What Tools & Technology do Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter Helpers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter Helpers:

• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Excel

How to Become a Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, or Steamfitter Helper

Learn what Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, or Steamfitter Helper education requirements there are.

What work experience do I need to become a Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, or Steamfitter Helper?

Who Employs Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter Helpers?

Similar Careers

Those interested in being a Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, or Steamfitter Helper may also be interested in:

• Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
• Office Machine Operators, Except Computer
• Helpers–Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons

Career changers with experience as a Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, or Steamfitter Helper sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

• Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons