AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 47-3015.00
Will AI replace Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters?
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 15 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 15 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perform rough-ins, repair and replace fixtures and water heaters, and locate, repair, or remove leaking or broken pipes. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Assist pipe fitters in the layout, assembly, and installation of piping for air, ammonia, gas, and water systems. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install gas burners to convert furnaces from wood, coal, or oil. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Fill pipes with sand or resin to prevent distortion, and hold pipes during bending and installation. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Cut or drill holes in walls or floors to accommodate the passage of pipes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks, pumps, or systems, using hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Requisition tools and equipment, select type and size of pipe, and collect and transport materials and equipment to work site. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Mount brackets and hangers on walls and ceilings to hold pipes, and set sleeves or inserts to provide support for pipes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Disassemble and remove damaged or worn pipe. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Immerse pipe in chemical solution to remove dirt, oil, and scale. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean shop, work area, and machines, using solvent and rags. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean and renew steam traps. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Cut pipe and lift up to fitters. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 15 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 15 of 15. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 28% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 28% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 72% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 44,330
- Median annual wage
- $42,360
- Middle half of earners
- $36,940 to $47,720
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +4.9%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 79% skill overlap, about 7 months to move Exposure24
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons 73% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure14
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure23
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters 71% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure18
- Helpers--Electricians 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure16
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters and AI
Will AI replace Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters?
Not on current evidence. None of the 15 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 16 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.
What is the AI exposure of Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters?
16 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 15 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 15 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters tasks can AI already do?
None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Perform rough-ins, repair and replace fixtures and water heaters, and locate, repair, or remove leaking or broken pipes, at 20 out of 100.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 28% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 72% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, and what do they earn?
44,330 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $42,360 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.9% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/helpers-pipelayers-plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters
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