Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

566k

Average Age

40.6

Estimated Job Growth

4.5%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$65,127

Average Male Salary

$65,399

Average Female Salary

$52,184

About

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are most often employed by the Construction industry. The average yearly wage for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters was $65,127 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are Southern Maine--York (West) & Cumberland (West) PUMA, ME, Harris County (East)--Baytown City PUMA, TX, and Albuquerque SW PUMA, NM. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are Albuquerque SW PUMA, NM, Harris County (East)--Baytown City PUMA, TX, and Phoenix City--Maryvale (East) PUMA, AZ.

Natural resources, construction, & maintenance occupations Construction & Extraction Occupations

Employment and salary information for the Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters workforce. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters workforce in 2024 was 565,708 people, of which 2.05% were women and 97.9% were men.

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are paid most in Regional Planning Commission 3--Jefferson Parish (North) PUMA, LA but are relatively concentrated in Albuquerque SW PUMA, NM.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

554,092

Male Workforce

± 18.2k

11,616

Female Workforce

± 2.65k

The Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters workforce in 2024 was 565,708 people (2.05% women and 97.9% men). This implies an average annual growth of 20.3% between 2018 (470,175) and 2024 (565,708).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Delaware ($87,732), Oregon ($81,424), and Washington ($81,237).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$65,127

AVERAGE WAGE

#236 in the ranking (2018)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earned an average of $65,127, $4,750 less than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2018.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.329

WAGE GINI

In 2024, Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.329, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters and on wages for those in the field. Construction is the industry that employs the most Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, by average wage, is Nursing Care Facilities ($127,278).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

566k

2024 Workforce

± 18,432

0.409%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 4.59%

This graphic shows the share of Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters employed by various industries. Construction employs the largest share of Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters at 93.2%, followed by Water, steam, air-conditioning, & irrigation systems with 3.44% and Natural gas distribution with 2.13%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in the US. The workforce of Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in 2024 was 565,708 people, with 2.05% woman, and 97.9% men. The average age of male Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in the workforce is 40.6 and of female Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is 39.2, and the most common race/ethnicity for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in 2024 was 565,708 people, with 2.05% woman, and 97.9% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (73,928 people), 25 to 29 years (69,750 people), and 35 to 39 years (68,124 people). Among them they concentrated 37.5% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 24.8% of Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters workers were Hispanic and 75.2% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (65.1%), Puerto Rican (6.37)%, and Salvadoran (4.92)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 67.6% of the Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters workforce were White, of which 1.92% were women and 98.1% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Two or More Races (13.5%) and Other (9.91%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is Business but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Mechanical Technologies.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Business (8,167 people), Engineering (3,932 people), and Education (2,233 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters workers were High School or Equivalent (268,301 people), Some college (137,828 people), and Secondary Education (50,768 people).

The graphic shows the Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters workforce by gender and educational level.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters are expected to see a growth of 4.5% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

4.5%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.