# Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

> 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.

- **SOC code:** 47-3015.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-3015-00
- **Also known as:** Plumber's Helper, Conduit Helper, Gas Main Fitter Helper, Hydraulic Plumber Helper, Industrial Gas Fitter Helper, Journeyman Plumber, Marine Pipefitter Helper, Marine Steam Fitter Helper
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

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

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Building and Construction _(knowledge)_
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Customer and Personal Service _(knowledge)_
- Mechanical _(knowledge)_
- Mathematics _(knowledge)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Multilimb Coordination _(ability)_
- English Language _(knowledge)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Trunk Strength _(ability)_
- Extent Flexibility _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 4th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 4th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 3rd percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 14th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 49th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 4.9% growth (About average); 4.9k annual openings; 45.3k → 47.5k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $39,270; 43,640 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-3015-00_