Trade · ONET 47-2152.00
Plumber
Installs and repairs water, waste, gas, and drainage systems in buildings.
What the work looks like
Plumbers rough in water and waste lines during new construction, install fixtures and appliances, and diagnose and repair failures in existing systems. The trade splits into distinct roles that rarely overlap in a single day. A service plumber drives from call to call on residential repairs. A new-construction plumber stays on one job for months, rough-in to final. A commercial plumber runs larger water, waste, and vent stacks in offices and hospitals. Pipefitters handle process piping, hydronic heating, and sometimes medical gas. Steamfitters specialize in pressurized steam systems in plants and large buildings. Career progression typically runs apprentice to journeyman, then to master plumber, service manager, estimator, or business owner.
Physical demands
- Lifting and carrying heavy materials such as cast iron, gas cylinders, and water heaters
- Frequent kneeling, crouching, and reaching overhead
- Working in trenches, crawl spaces, and attics
- Exposure to sewage, solvents, and flux fumes, with PPE required
- Using torches and brazing equipment in tight spaces
- Driving between service calls for most of the day in the service role
Common tools
- Pipe wrenches (14, 18, and 24 inch)
- Channellocks and basin wrench
- Tubing cutter and deburring tool
- Press tool such as ProPress or MegaPress
- Drain snake, cable machine, and hydro-jet
- Torch, flux, and solder kit
- Inspection camera for drain diagnostics
Union and non-union paths
The United Association (UA) of Plumbers and Pipefitters runs Joint Apprenticeship Training Committees in most metro areas, jointly sponsored with MCAA contractors, and publishes wage schedules as part of the local agreement. Non-union plumbers commonly enter through PHCC chapter programs or employer-sponsored training, with wage and benefit structures set per contractor. Most states license at the journeyman and master levels independently of which training path was taken. Medical gas and backflow certifications are separate endorsements layered on top of the state license.
How to enter
State licensing typically requires a registered apprenticeship plus a journeyman exam. Apprenticeships run 4 to 5 years with roughly 8,000 OJT hours and 144 classroom hours per year under DOL registered-apprenticeship standards. Master licensure is a separate later step in most states, with additional years of experience required after journeyman plus a second exam. Military plumber MOS and rating crosswalks exist at many UA JATCs and open-shop programs, with advanced standing decided case by case. A few states license gas fitting separately from plumbing; check the state contractor board before choosing a program.
Specialty paths in this trade
Most states license one plumber classification, but the work splits into distinct paths with different schedules, tools, and wage schedules. Read before choosing a program.
Residential Service
Repairs, re-pipes, fixture replacement, water-heater swap, and drain work in single-family and light multi-family homes. A service plumber drives from call to call, diagnoses fast, and bills per job or per hour.
Typical scope
- Leak repair, fixture replacement, water-heater swap
- Drain cleaning and camera inspection
- Water service replacement and re-pipe
- Gas appliance install where licensed
Entry: Apprenticeship under a master plumber at a residential service company, or a UA/PHCC registered program with a service-leaning shop. 4 to 5 years to journeyman in most states.
Wage note: Service pay is commonly hourly plus commission on billed work. Schedule is more predictable than new construction but on-call rotations are common.
Commercial and Industrial Pipefitting
Larger water, waste, vent, and process piping in offices, schools, hospitals, and plants. Pipefitters handle hydronic heating, chilled water, compressed air, and process piping in industrial settings.
Typical scope
- Roughing in commercial water, waste, and vent stacks
- Hydronic heating and chilled-water piping for commercial HVAC
- Process piping at biotech, semiconductor, and food plants
- Welded and grooved steel, copper, and stainless lines
Entry: UA JATC apprenticeship in a pipefitter or plumber-and-pipefitter local, typically 5 years. Open-shop equivalents run similar length.
Wage note: Commercial and industrial wage schedules commonly sit above residential service in the same region. Project-based schedules mean more overtime and more layoff cycles.
Steamfitter
Pressurized steam and high-temperature hot-water systems in plants, hospitals, universities, and large commercial buildings. Often a distinct UA classification with additional welding and code requirements.
Typical scope
- Steam distribution, condensate return, and boiler-room piping
- Process steam at refineries, paper mills, and food plants
- Pipe welding to ASME code (6G, SMAW, TIG)
- Hydronic and district-heating systems
Entry: UA steamfitter or pipefitter-steamfitter JATC, typically 5 years with welding as a required portion of training.
Wage note: Certified pipe welders commonly earn above straight journey-level pipefitter rates in the same local. Welding certifications must be renewed on schedule to stay current.
Medical Gas Installer
Installs and certifies medical gas and vacuum piping in hospitals and surgical facilities under NFPA 99 and ASSE 6010. A specialized endorsement layered on top of the state plumbing license.
Typical scope
- Oxygen, medical air, vacuum, and anesthesia-gas piping
- Brazing to ASSE 6010 procedures with inert-gas purge
- System verification and certification with a qualified verifier
- Hospital, surgery center, and dental facility work
Entry: Journey-level plumber or pipefitter first, then ASSE 6010 installer training and exam. NITC and other certifying bodies issue the credential.
Wage note: Medical-gas work is a limited qualified pool and commonly commands a premium over straight journey-level scale. Documentation and verification requirements are strict.
Residential, commercial, industrial
Residential service plumbers work shorter calls on smaller systems. Commercial plumbers and pipefitters run larger stacks, heavier pipe, and longer coordination timelines. Industrial pipefitting sits on process and plant work.
Residential
Service trucks, homeowner contact, shorter calls, smaller pipe. Pay structure commonly includes commission on billed work. Drain work, water-heater swap, and re-pipe dominate.
Commercial
Larger crews, longer projects, coordinated scheduling with other trades, heavier cast iron and larger copper. Hospitals, schools, offices, and multi-family. Medical gas endorsements unlock the healthcare segment.
Industrial
Process piping at plants, refineries, biotech, and semiconductor fabs. Welded steel and stainless, ASME-code work, and shutdown or turnaround schedules. Certified pipe welders sit at the top of the wage schedule.
Certifications that unlock premium work
Credentials beyond the state license. Each one opens a specific segment of work where the qualified pool is smaller.
ASSE 6010 Medical Gas Installer ↗
Required to install medical gas and vacuum piping in hospitals under NFPA 99. A limited qualified pool nationally; routinely commands a premium over straight journey-level scale on hospital and surgical-facility contracts.
Issuer: ASSE International (credential delivered by NITC and other certifying bodies)
Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester (ASSE 5110) ↗
Required by most water purveyors to test and certify backflow assemblies on commercial and irrigation systems. Annual testing work is steady and bills per assembly. State-specific certs (WA, CA, TX) stack with or replace ASSE 5110 depending on jurisdiction.
Issuer: ASSE International and state programs
Cross-Connection Control Specialist ↗
Surveys and plan-reviews backflow risk on commercial water systems. A step beyond tester work, commonly requested by water utilities and large property owners.
Issuer: ASSE International and state programs
Pipe Welding Certifications (6G, SMAW, TIG) ↗
Certified pipe welders work on high-pressure, process, and stainless systems where non-certified welders cannot. Commonly requested for industrial, petrochemical, and food-grade contracts. Certifications must be renewed per AWS or ASME procedure.
Issuer: American Welding Society and ASME procedures
NFPA 99 Healthcare Facilities Code ↗
Governs medical gas, plumbing, and related systems in healthcare facilities. Training on the current edition is commonly required or expected for hospital construction and renovation work.
Issuer: National Fire Protection Association
Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) ↗
Design-side credential from ASPE for plumbers moving into engineering, estimating, or design-build roles. Recognized on commercial plumbing design contracts.
Issuer: American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE)
Tool and equipment investment
Apprentice, year 1
$500 to $1,200 for a basic kit: pipe wrenches, channellocks, tubing cutter, torch set, hand tools, pouch, and PPE. Some programs supply torches and press tools; most do not.
Journey level
$4,000 to $10,000 over time for a full personal kit: press tool, cordless drill and driver, snakes, small jetter, inspection camera, threader, and specialty wrenches.
Going independent
$50,000 to $150,000 for a service truck, stock, jetter, camera, locator, larger press tools, and commercial drain equipment. Service-heavy setups with a truck-mount jetter sit at the top of the range.
Shop-supplied tools vary by contractor. Ask during hiring which tools the employer provides and which come out of your pocket. Service shops commonly supply the truck and stock; tool responsibility varies.
Wages
National median
$62,970
annual, all workers
National mean
$69,940
annual, all workers
By pilot state
BLS Occupational Outlook projections cover plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters together on the linked OOH page. Demand drivers include residential service and re-pipe work, commercial new construction, process piping at semiconductor and biotech plants, and retrofits tied to heat-pump and hydronic system adoption. Subfield demand differs sharply by region: residential service in Sun Belt metros, industrial pipefitting on the Gulf Coast and in the Pacific Northwest.
BLS OES wages shown on this page are statewide median and mean across all plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters. Urban metros with heavy commercial and industrial work (Seattle, Chicago, NYC, SF Bay, Houston) often pay 15 to 30 percent above their statewide median; residential-service-only markets often pay below. Medical gas, certified pipe welding, and industrial pipefitting commonly exceed the straight journey-level plumber median. Source: BLS OES by area, https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm.