Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Salary: $39,270 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 43,640 helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters work nationally, and $39,270 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 13% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 8.0% annual decline.
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters: what the data shows
Common questions about helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-3015.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 43,640 workers.
What does a helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Getting Information, Handling and Moving Objects, Thinking Creatively, Performing General Physical Activities, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make?
BLS national median annual wage: $39,270 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $53,312 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,858 |
| 25th percentile | $45,437 |
| Median (50th) | $51,439 |
| 75th percentile | $62,412 |
| 90th percentile | $65,850 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Active Listening, Coordination, Active Learning, and knowledge areas including Building and Construction, Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 8.0% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -34.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -56.7%.
Current U.S. headcount: 43,640.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitterss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 43,640 | 17.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 43,390 | 17.0% |
| Construction | 41,970 | 16.5% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 38,610 | 15.2% |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 37,670 | 14.8% |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 37,340 | 14.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineers | 355,410 | $99,590 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | 53,520 | $60,800 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 293,930 | $100,070 |
| Materials Engineers | 22,770 | $108,310 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters workforce.
Employment Over Time
43,640 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters shrank from 24,340 in 2009 to 6,380 in 2025 (73.8%).
Historical employment for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$39,270 Median pay (BLS national)
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters earn $39,270 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Salary distribution for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Employment Growth Projections
-8.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
4,198 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -34.2%
2,763 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -56.7%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Wage Trends by Industry
13.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 6,950 employees, $39,910 avg wage
- FL: 5,000 employees, $41,080 avg wage
- NC: 3,740 employees, $38,010 avg wage
- NY: 3,520 employees, $47,440 avg wage
- LA: 2,300 employees, $37,600 avg wage
- CA: 2,230 employees, $51,790 avg wage
- GA: 1,630 employees, $39,060 avg wage
- VA: 1,520 employees, $39,660 avg wage
- TN: 1,170 employees, $41,430 avg wage
- SC: 990 employees, $40,300 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 2,980 employees, $48,070 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,830 employees, $42,270 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,650 employees, $42,190 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 1,030 employees, $41,760 avg wage
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 1,020 employees, $39,930 avg wage
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC: 990 employees, $41,670 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 970 employees, $43,620 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 890 employees, $41,200 avg wage
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL: 850 employees, $44,810 avg wage
- Baton Rouge, LA: 740 employees, $39,210 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Diversity
Demographic information on Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters is about 43,640 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Plumbing Technology.
Common majors for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters workers.
Education level distribution for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Skills
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Active Listening, Coordination.
Required skills for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters include Building and Construction, Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical, Mathematics, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters include Manual Dexterity, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Multilimb Coordination, Extent Flexibility, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
Daily Activities
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters spend their time on activities such as Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Getting Information, Handling and Moving Objects, Thinking Creatively.
Most important work activities for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.
About
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters earn $39,270 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
47-3015 - Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters reports an average salary of $53,312.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 43,640 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -8.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.