Community Sentiment
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Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?
AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters?
Task-level automation exposure for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters: 30 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
21%
weighted task index
30 of 30 tasks scored
Median Salary
$63,800 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Very High
465,840 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+6.8%
employment change
42,000 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 54 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$31,620 – $101,020
Highest medians
District of Columbia $101,020
Illinois $99,950
Oregon $97,050
Minnesota $94,410
Alaska $93,920
Lowest medians
Puerto Rico $31,620
Guam $36,470
Arkansas $48,660
Virgin Islands $49,630
South Dakota $51,620
State figures come from the 47-2152 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 21%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 61%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 19%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 4%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 23/100
Low
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
30 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 11%
3 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 8%
2 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 81%
25 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#23469 · Core · 10% automatable
Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.
physical manipulation — Plumbing repair is manual dexterity in situ
Maintain plumbing structures or fixtures.
#23478 · Core · 4% automatable
Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.
physical manipulation — Hands-on plumbing in structures
Install plumbing or piping.
#23466 · Core · 7% automatable
Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
physical manipulation — Welding is skilled hands-on metalwork
Weld metal components. Install plumbing or piping.
#23474 · Core · 16% automatable
Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
physical manipulation — Physical measurement for assembly fitting
Measure materials or objects for installation or assembly. Mark reference points on construction materials.
#23459 · Core · 8% automatable
Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.
physical manipulation — Part fabrication requires physical machining and handling
Cut metal components for installation. Fabricate parts or components.
#23460 · Core · 50% automatable
Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints.
text generation — Installation diagrams drafted; field accuracy human-owned
Create construction or installation diagrams.
#23462 · Core · 30% automatable
Plan pipe system layout, installation, or repair, according to specifications.
physical manipulation — Site layout requires physical inspection of space
Plan layout of construction, installation, or repairs.
#23475 · Core · 70% automatable
Review blueprints, building codes, or specifications to determine work details or procedures.
visual inspection — Specs reading aided, human validates requirements
Review blueprints or specifications to determine work requirements.
#23465 · Core · 55% automatable
Select pipe sizes, types, or related materials, such as supports, hangers, or hydraulic cylinders, according to specifications.
decision support — Construction material selection needs code and site judgment
Select construction materials.
#23472 · Core · 15% automatable
Fill pipes or plumbing fixtures with water or air and observe pressure gauges to detect and locate leaks.
physical manipulation — Plumbing inspection needs hands-on physical access
Inspect plumbing systems or fixtures.
#23471 · Core · 20% automatable
Direct helpers engaged in pipe cutting, preassembly, or installation of plumbing systems or components.
interpersonal — Directing crews in the field is human leadership work
Direct construction or extraction personnel.
#23461 · Core · 15% automatable
Inspect, examine, or test installed systems or pipe lines, using pressure gauge, hydrostatic testing, observation, or other methods.
physical manipulation — Plumbing inspection needs hands-on physical access
Inspect plumbing systems or fixtures.
#23467 · Core · 4% automatable
Install pipe assemblies, fittings, valves, appliances such as dishwashers or water heaters, or fixtures such as sinks or toilets, using hand or power tools.
physical manipulation — Hands-on plumbing in structures
Install plumbing or piping.
#23476 · Core · 4% automatable
Anchor steel supports from ceiling joists to hold pipes in place.
physical manipulation — Hands-on plumbing in structures
Install plumbing or piping.
#23463 · Core · 7% automatable
Attach pipes to walls, structures, or fixtures, such as radiators or tanks, using brackets, clamps, tools, or welding equipment.
physical manipulation — Welding is skilled hands-on metalwork
Weld metal components. Install plumbing or piping.
#23464 · Core · 10% automatable
Modify, clean, or maintain pipe systems, units, fittings, or related machines or equipment, using hand or power tools.
physical manipulation — Equipment and facility cleaning is hands-on
Clean equipment or facilities. Maintain plumbing structures or fixtures.
#23468 · Core · 5% automatable
Install automatic controls to regulate pipe systems.
physical manipulation — Installing gauges is hands-on physical work
Install gauges or controls.
#23477 · Core · 60% automatable
Estimate time, material, or labor costs for use in project plans.
data analysis — Construction cost estimation needs site judgment
Estimate construction project costs. Estimate construction project labor requirements.
#23470 · Core · 80% automatable
Keep records of work assignments.
data analysis — Record operational or environmental data into logs
Record operational or environmental data.
#23479 · Core · 20% automatable
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.
visual inspection — On-site physical condition assessment is human work
Inspect work sites to determine condition or necessary repairs.
#23473 · Core · 10% automatable
Maintain or repair plumbing by replacing defective washers, replacing or mending broken pipes, or opening clogged drains.
physical manipulation — Plumbing repair is manual dexterity in situ
Maintain plumbing structures or fixtures.
#23488 · Core · 9% automatable
Repair or remove and replace system components.
physical manipulation — Manual replacement of mechanical parts
Remove parts or components from equipment. Replace worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts. Repair worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.
#23481 · Core · 5% automatable
Cut openings in structures to accommodate pipes or pipe fittings, using hand or power tools.
physical manipulation — Cutting openings in structures, skilled manual work
Cut openings in existing structures.
#23480 · Core · 4% automatable
Install green plumbing equipment, such as faucet flow restrictors, dual-flush or pressure-assisted flush toilets, or tankless hot water heaters.
physical manipulation — Hands-on plumbing installation
Install green plumbing or water handling systems.
#23482 · Supplemental · 22% automatable
Inspect work sites for obstructions or holes that could cause structural weakness.
visual inspection — Hazard identification on site requires physical presence
Inspect work sites to identify potential environmental or safety hazards.
#23484 · Supplemental · 4% automatable
Install pipe systems to support alternative energy-fueled systems, such as geothermal heating or cooling systems.
physical manipulation — Hands-on plumbing in structures
Install plumbing or piping.
#23483 · Supplemental · 4% automatable
Install fixtures, appliances, or equipment designed to reduce water or energy consumption.
physical manipulation — Hands-on plumbing installation
Install green plumbing or water handling systems.
#23487 · Supplemental · 10% automatable
Repair hydraulic or air pumps.
physical manipulation — Manual repair of worn mechanical parts
Repair worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.
#23485 · Supplemental · 10% automatable
Weld small pipes or special piping, using specialized techniques, equipment, or materials, such as computer-assisted welding or microchip fabrication.
physical manipulation — Welding is skilled hands-on metalwork
Weld metal components.
#23486 · Supplemental · 15% automatable
Operate motorized pumps to remove water from flooded manholes, basements, or facility floors.
physical manipulation — Hands-on pump and compressor operation
Operate pumps or compressors.
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How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
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