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Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting

Types of Degrees Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting Majors Are Earning

Those studying Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	224
Associate’s Degree	222
Master’s Degree	167

What Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting Majors Need to Know

Studies in Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Building and Construction — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	3.8 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.8 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Salesforce software	Customer relationship management CRM software	—
Cost estimating software	Project management software	—
Work scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Inventory tracking software	Inventory management software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting graduates include:

• Thermal Technician
• Solar Energy Technician
• Solar Pool Heating Installer
• Solar Water Heater Installer
• Solar Installer
• Thermal Operator
• Solar Maintenance Technician
• Solar Hot Water Installer (SHW Installer)
• Solar Thermal Installer
• Installer
• Heat Exchanger
• Solar Thermal Technician
• Solar Insulation Technician
• Solar Boilers Technician
• Solar Technician

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	36.9%
Postsecondary certificate	21.1%
Some college courses	12.3%
Less than a high school diploma	11.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.9%
Bachelor’s degree	7.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 95.4% of Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	28	4.6%
Men	585	95.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	411	67.0%
Asian	1	0.2%
Hispanic or Latino	69	11.3%
Black or African American	57	9.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	0.8%
Two or More Races	6	1.0%
Race Unknown	63	10.3%
International Students	1	0.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,651
4 years	$39,033
5 years	$45,465

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $45,465 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting graduates earn a median of $39,033 four years after completion — roughly 3% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services	46.05
Blasting/Blaster	46.0505
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services, Other	46.0599
Plumbing Technology/Plumber	46.0503
Well Drilling/Driller	46.0504
Building Construction Technology/Technician	46.0415
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager	46.0412
Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector	46.0403
Building/Property Maintenance	46.0401
Carpentry/Carpenter	46.0201
Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker	46.0413
Concrete Finishing/Concrete Finisher	46.0402

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.