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Date: 02/15/2025

Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. May install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems. Includes sprinkler fitters.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Inspect work sites for obstructions or holes that could cause structural weakness.
    • Weld small pipes or special piping, using specialized techniques, equipment, or materials, such as computer-assisted welding or microchip fabrication.
    • Repair or remove and replace system components.
    • Install automatic controls to regulate pipe systems.
    • Estimate time, material, or labor costs for use in project plans.
    • Estimate time, material, or labor costs for use in project plans.
    • Keep records of work assignments.
    • Operate motorized pumps to remove water from flooded manholes, basements, or facility floors.
    • Cut openings in structures to accommodate pipes or pipe fittings, using hand or power tools.
    • Install green plumbing equipment, such as faucet flow restrictors, dual-flush or pressure-assisted flush toilets, or tankless hot water heaters.
    • Direct helpers engaged in pipe cutting, preassembly, or installation of plumbing systems or components.
    • Install pipe systems to support alternative energy-fueled systems, such as geothermal heating or cooling systems.
    • Repair or remove and replace system components.
    • Modify, clean, or maintain pipe systems, units, fittings, or related machines or equipment, using hand or power tools.
    • Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.
    • Inspect structures to assess material or equipment needs, to establish the sequence of pipe installations, or to plan installation around obstructions, such as electrical wiring.
    • Repair or remove and replace system components.
    • Review blueprints, building codes, or specifications to determine work details or procedures.
    • Inspect, examine, or test installed systems or pipe lines, using pressure gauge, hydrostatic testing, observation, or other methods.
    • Plan pipe system layout, installation, or repair, according to specifications.
    • Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
    • Install fixtures, appliances, or equipment designed to reduce water or energy consumption.
    • Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
    • Select pipe sizes, types, or related materials, such as supports, hangers, or hydraulic cylinders, according to specifications.
    • Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
    • Attach pipes to walls, structures, or fixtures, such as radiators or tanks, using brackets, clamps, tools, or welding equipment.
    • Repair hydraulic or air pumps.
    • Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.
    • Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints.
    • Maintain or repair plumbing by replacing defective washers, replacing or mending broken pipes, or opening clogged drains.
    • Install pipe assemblies, fittings, valves, appliances such as dishwashers or water heaters, or fixtures such as sinks or toilets, using hand or power tools.
    • Anchor steel supports from ceiling joists to hold pipes in place.
    • Attach pipes to walls, structures, or fixtures, such as radiators or tanks, using brackets, clamps, tools, or welding equipment.
    • Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.
    • Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
    • Modify, clean, or maintain pipe systems, units, fittings, or related machines or equipment, using hand or power tools.
    • Fill pipes or plumbing fixtures with water or air and observe pressure gauges to detect and locate leaks.
    • Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.

    Skills

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    Knowledge

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 65040/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 31.27/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 15,620
    • Yearly Projected Openings 1350

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Independence
    • Leadership
    • Achievement/Effort
    • Analytical Thinking

    Tools

    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Air compressors
    • Alternating current AC arc welder
    • Augers
    • Backhoes
    • Ball peen hammer
    • Bandsaw wheel
    • Bench vises
    • Blocks or pulleys
    • Blow torch
    • Bolt cutters
    • Box end wrenches
    • Calipers
    • Caulking guns
    • Circuit tracers
    • Claw hammer
    • Cold chisels
    • Conventional truck cranes
    • Cutting die
    • Deburring tool
    • Demolition hammers
    • Depth gauges
    • Desktop computers
    • Detection apparatus for non metallic objects
    • Dewatering pumps
    • Diagonal cut pliers
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Direct current DC arc welder
    • Drain or pipe cleaning equipment
    • Drain or toilet plunger
    • Drill press or radial drill
    • Dump trucks
    • Explosimeters
    • Flow sensors
    • Fluid regulators
    • Forklifts
    • Gas detectors
    • Gas generators
    • Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus
    • Hacksaw
    • Hammer drills
    • Hammers
    • Hand reamer
    • Heat guns
    • Hex keys
    • Hoists
    • Hole saws
    • Hose cutter
    • Hydraulic truck cranes
    • Impact hammers
    • Impact wrenches
    • Industrial threading die
    • Inspection mirror
    • Jacks
    • Ladders
    • Laser measuring systems
    • Laser printers
    • Leak testing equipment
    • Level sensors or transmitters
    • Levels
    • Light trucks or sport utility vehicles
    • Liquid leak detectors
    • Locking pliers
    • Manlift or personnel lift
    • Metal detectors
    • Metal inert gas welding machine
    • Metal markers or holders
    • Micrometers
    • Mill saw file
    • Moisture meters
    • Mud pumps
    • Notebook computers
    • Nut drivers
    • Offset socket wrenches
    • Ohmmeters
    • Oil gun
    • Open end wrenches
    • Personal computers
    • Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
    • Pipe bending mandrel
    • Pipe bending tools
    • Pipe extractors
    • Pipe or tube cutter
    • Pipe reamer
    • Pipe vises
    • Pipe wrenches
    • Plumb bobs
    • Pneumatic grinders
    • Pneumatic hammer
    • Power drills
    • Power flaring tool
    • Power grinders
    • Power saws
    • Pressure indicators
    • Pressure or steam cleaners
    • Pry bars
    • Pullers
    • Rasps
    • Ratchets
    • Safety harnesses or belts
    • Saws
    • Scaffolding
    • Screwdrivers
    • Sewage pumps
    • Shears
    • Sheet metal grooving machine
    • Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
    • Skid steer loaders
    • Slings
    • Slip or groove joint pliers
    • Soldering iron
    • Specialty wrenches
    • Spot welding machine
    • Square file
    • Squares
    • Staple guns
    • Strap wrenches
    • Sump pumps
    • Swaging tools
    • Tablet computers
    • Tachometers
    • Tape measures
    • Tapping machine attachment
    • Taps
    • Thermographs
    • Threading die hand tool
    • Threading machine
    • Threading taps
    • Tinners snips
    • Tongs
    • Torque wrenches
    • Torx keys
    • Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe
    • Trenching machines
    • Tube end finisher
    • Tungsten inert gas welding machine
    • Two way radios
    • Utility knives
    • Vacuum gauges
    • Vibration testers
    • Voltage or current meters
    • Water pumps
    • Water samplers
    • Welder torch
    • Welding masks
    • Wheel loaders
    • Winches
    • Wire brushes
    • Wire or cable cutter

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Facilities management software
    • Internet browser software
    • Office suite software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Web platform development software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.

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    The Workforce Supply Tool provides statistics for the occupations in highest demand throughout Ohio.

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