Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters to grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035 (about 34,500 more jobs), with about 42,000 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $63,800 a year ranks 378th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +6.8%
- Openings a year
- 42,000
- Median pay
- $63,800
- Pay rank
- 378th of 825
Is employment of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters to rise 6.8% (about 34,500 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +5.1% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 60 construction and extraction occupations with a projection. That change ranks 130th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 510,600 |
| Employment, 2035 | 545,200 |
| Projected change | +6.8% |
| Openings a year | 42,000 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 510,600 jobs here differ from the 465,840 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 42,000 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 95th most of 830 occupations. About 92% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 3,450 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters rank?
The median of $63,800 a year ranks 378th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: apprenticeship.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar Photovoltaic Installers | +36.5% | 4,200 | $53,140 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | +2.4% | 4,400 | $42,360 |
| Boilermakers | -1.8% | 700 | $76,410 |
| Pipelayers | -3.1% | 2,100 | $49,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | +5.0% | 67,000 | $79,920 |
| Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | +7.8% | 2,800 | $49,880 |
| Insulation Workers, Mechanical | +5.1% | 1,800 | $58,340 |
| Construction Laborers | +7.3% | 120,000 | $47,120 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.