Electricians vs Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Electricians and Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Electricians | Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $62,350 | $39,270 |
| Employment | 742,580 | 43,640 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | Growing fast (+9.5%) | About average (+4.9%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 81,000 | 4,900 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Moderate · 51st pct | Low · 14th pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 31st pct · 19% of tasks | 2nd pct · 9% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | Automation-leaning (35.0%) | — |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | No |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Problem Sensitivity, Near Vision, Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Oral Comprehension, Information Ordering, Finger Dexterity, Building and Construction, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Administration and Management, Extent Flexibility, Mechanical, Mathematics, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Oral Expression, Visualization, Trunk Strength, Design, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making, Category Flexibility, Manual Dexterity, Customer and Personal Service, Monitoring, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving, Selective Attention, Control Precision.
Specific to Electricians
- Troubleshooting
- Visual Color Discrimination
- Repairing
- Speaking
- Written Comprehension
- Installation
- Quality Control Analysis
- Flexibility of Closure
Specific to Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Multilimb Coordination
- English Language
- Static Strength
- Speech Recognition
- Speech Clarity
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Public Safety and Security
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Word processing software .
Specific to Electricians
Specific to Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Electricians or Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Electricians vs Lighting Technicians
- Electricians vs Helpers--Electricians
- Electricians vs Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Electricians vs Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
- Electricians vs Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers
- Electricians vs Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment
- Electricians vs Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers
- Electricians vs Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Electricians vs Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/electricians-vs-helpers-pipelayers-plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters
Singulariki. (2026). Electricians vs Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/electricians-vs-helpers-pipelayers-plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters
@misc{singulariki-electricians-vs-helpers-pipelayers-plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters,
title = {Electricians vs Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/electricians-vs-helpers-pipelayers-plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.