Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

O*NET-SOC code: 47-3015.00

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.

Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery high
Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
Source dataset (XLSX download)
Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745
Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
Source dataset (CSV download)
Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.09
0.09Range of values carried here0.70
Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
Source dataset (PDF download)

What kind of figure this source publishes

The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.

Task-level exposure

15 rated tasks · 0 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (0.0%)

β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.

Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.

Source: OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
Release: gh-main-0471612
License: MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI

Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.

Task (O*NET 27.2)	βE1 + 0.5 × E2
Cut or drill holes in walls or floors to accommodate the passage of pipes. O*NET Task ID 4857	0.0
Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports. O*NET Task ID 4858	0.0
Mount brackets and hangers on walls and ceilings to hold pipes, and set sleeves or inserts to provide support for pipes. O*NET Task ID 4859	0.0
Requisition tools and equipment, select type and size of pipe, and collect and transport materials and equipment to work site. O*NET Task ID 4860	0.0
Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks, pumps, or systems, using hand tools. O*NET Task ID 4861	0.0
Assist pipe fitters in the layout, assembly, and installation of piping for air, ammonia, gas, and water systems. O*NET Task ID 4862	0.0
Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service. O*NET Task ID 4863	0.0
Cut pipe and lift up to fitters. O*NET Task ID 4864	0.0
Disassemble and remove damaged or worn pipe. O*NET Task ID 4865	0.0
Clean shop, work area, and machines, using solvent and rags. O*NET Task ID 4866	0.0
Install gas burners to convert furnaces from wood, coal, or oil. O*NET Task ID 4867	0.0
Immerse pipe in chemical solution to remove dirt, oil, and scale. O*NET Task ID 4868	0.0
Clean and renew steam traps. O*NET Task ID 4869	0.0
Fill pipes with sand or resin to prevent distortion, and hold pipes during bending and installation. O*NET Task ID 4870	0.0
Perform rough-ins, repair and replace fixtures and water heaters, and locate, repair, or remove leaking or broken pipes. O*NET Task ID 20144	0.0

β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.

Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page

All O*NET 31.0 task statements (15)

All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.

Task (O*NET 31.0)	Type
Cut or drill holes in walls or floors to accommodate the passage of pipes.	Core
Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports.	Core
Mount brackets and hangers on walls and ceilings to hold pipes, and set sleeves or inserts to provide support for pipes.	Core
Requisition tools and equipment, select type and size of pipe, and collect and transport materials and equipment to work site.	Core
Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks, pumps, or systems, using hand tools.	Core
Assist pipe fitters in the layout, assembly, and installation of piping for air, ammonia, gas, and water systems.	Core
Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service.	Core
Cut pipe and lift up to fitters.	Core
Disassemble and remove damaged or worn pipe.	Core
Clean shop, work area, and machines, using solvent and rags.	Core
Perform rough-ins, repair and replace fixtures and water heaters, and locate, repair, or remove leaking or broken pipes.	Core
Install gas burners to convert furnaces from wood, coal, or oil.	Supplemental
Immerse pipe in chemical solution to remove dirt, oil, and scale.	Supplemental
Clean and renew steam traps.	Supplemental
Fill pipes with sand or resin to prevent distortion, and hold pipes during bending and installation.	Supplemental

Anthropic, "What work can robots do?"2026-09

0.80/ 3· Robot exposure index

0 none3 unstructured settings

Scale, basis and source

Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time

Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks

Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.

Source dataset

The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.

Tier of each physical task

Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)

E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site

Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.

Task (O*NET 29.3)	Robot environment tier
Cut or drill holes in walls or floors to accommodate the passage of pipes.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Mount brackets and hangers on walls and ceilings to hold pipes, and set sleeves or inserts to provide support for pipes.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Requisition tools and equipment, select type and size of pipe, and collect and transport materials and equipment to work site.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks, pumps, or systems, using hand tools.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Assist pipe fitters in the layout, assembly, and installation of piping for air, ammonia, gas, and water systems.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service.	E0 none
Cut pipe and lift up to fitters.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Disassemble and remove damaged or worn pipe.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Clean shop, work area, and machines, using solvent and rags.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Perform rough-ins, repair and replace fixtures and water heaters, and locate, repair, or remove leaking or broken pipes.	E0 none
Install gas burners to convert furnaces from wood, coal, or oil.	E0 none
Immerse pipe in chemical solution to remove dirt, oil, and scale.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Clean and renew steam traps.	E0 none
Fill pipes with sand or resin to prevent distortion, and hold pipes during bending and installation.	E1 purpose-built robot settings

Employment outlook (BLS)

Employment, 2025: 45K
Projected employment, 2035: 46K
Change (2025–35): +2.4%
Median annual wage, 2025: $42,360
Typical education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent

lowest $30,890median wage across 825 detailed occupations, BLS EP 2025–35highest $559,030

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — Employment by detailed occupation, 2025 and projected 2035

Korea classification links (KSCO)

Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.

KSCO code	KSCO title	Relation	Status
91001	건설 단순 종사원	This occupation is narrower	confirmed

Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)

ILO occupational description

AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.

ISCO-08 9313Building Construction Labourers

The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.

Building construction labourers perform routine tasks in connection with building construction and demolition work.

Tasks

(a) cleaning used building bricks and doing other simple work on demolition sites;
(b) mixing, pouring and spreading materials such as concrete, plaster and mortar;
(c) digging and filling holes and trenches using hand held tools;
(d) spreading sand, soil, gravel and similar materials;
(e) loading and unloading construction materials, excavated material and equipment and transporting them around construction sites using wheelbarrows, hods and hand trucks;
(f) cleaning work sites and removing obstructions.

Example occupations

Bricklayer's assistant · Construction labourer (building work) · Demolition labourer · Hod carrier

Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits

ESCO occupational vocabulary

Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.

pipeline maintenance workerESCO 7126.7Overlapping, not the same
Pipeline maintenance workers operate different equipment to keep the suitability of the pipelines. They perform checks for deviations and administer chemicals according to the needs and cleaning aim (e.g. corrosion shunning)
plumberESCO 7126.8Overlapping, not the same
Plumbers maintain and install water, gas and sewage systems. They inspect pipes and fixtures on a regular basis or make repairs as needed. They bend, cut, and install pipes. They test systems and make adjustments safely and following regulations. They place sanitary equipment.

Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)

License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)

View original

ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.

France classification links (ROME)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.

ROME code	ROME title (French)	Relation
F1603	Plombier / Plombière sanitaire	Related, not a matchprovisional
F1620	Installateur / Installatrice chauffage et climatisation	Related, not a matchprovisional
F1705	Poseur / Poseuse de canalisations	Related, not a matchprovisional

Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.

ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)

Spain classification links (CNO-11)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

CNO-11 code	CNO-11 title (Spanish)	Relation
9602	Peones de la construcción de edificios	This occupation is narrower
9601	Peones de obras públicas	Related, not a match

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)

Germany classification links (KldB)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

KldB code	KldB title (German)	Relation
34201	Berufe in der Klempnerei (ohne Spezialisierung) - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten	This occupation is narrower
32201	Berufe im Tiefbau (ohne Spezialisierung) - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten	Related, not a match

Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)

Japan classification links (JSCO)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

JSCO code	JSCO title (Japanese)	Relation
666	配管従事者	This occupation is narrowerprovisional
681	土木従事者	Related, not a matchprovisional

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)

Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources