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The national median salary for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters is $42,349 per year ($20.36/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $36,941 and $47,715 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $57,782 per year. There are approximately 44,330 helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Help plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, or pipelayers by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment. Construction laborers who do not primarily assist plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, or pipelayers are classified under “Construction Laborers” (47-2061). Apprentice workers are classified with the appropriate skilled construction trade occupation (47-2011 through 47-2231).
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.9%
Faster than average
Annual openings
5K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
45K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Building Equipment Contractors
NAICS 238200
39K
$42,210
Utility System Construction
NAICS 237100
1K
$44,380
Nonresidential Building Construction
NAICS 236200
790
$38,980
Other Specialty Trade Contractors
NAICS 238900
510
$41,080
Residential Building Construction
NAICS 236100
340
$35,950
Wage range across top 5 industries: $35,950 to $44,380 (23% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$16.15
$33,592
P25
$17.76
$36,941
P50MEDIAN
$20.36
$42,349
P75
$22.94
$47,715
P90
$27.78
$57,782
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary?
The national median salary for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters is $42,349 per year ($20.36/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $36,941 and $47,715 annually.
How much do top-earning helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make?
The 90th percentile salary for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters is $57,782 per year ($27.78/hr). The 75th percentile is $47,715 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Entry-level Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (10th percentile) earn approximately $33,592 per year ($16.15/hr). The 25th percentile is $36,941 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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