Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. May install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems. Includes sprinkler fitters.

The occupation of "Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters" has an automation risk of 23.9%, which is closely aligned with its base risk of 24.2%. This relatively moderate risk suggests that while certain aspects of the job could be susceptible to automation, much of the work continues to require human intervention. The hands-on, environment-specific nature of plumbing and pipefitting tasks makes them challenging to fully automate with current technologies. Furthermore, the variety of work settings, unique issues encountered at each site, and need for problem-solving reduce the likelihood that automation will completely replace these trades in the near future. Among the most automatable tasks in this occupation are those that involve repetitive and straightforward physical actions. For instance, shutting off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections using valve keys or wrenches is a routine procedure that could be handled by automated machinery or robotic tools. Likewise, installing underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, and assembling pipe sections with standard connectors and equipment are tasks that could be streamlined through advanced construction robots or specialized machinery, given their systematic, repeatable nature. As such, these tasks present clear opportunities for automation to improve efficiency, especially in large-scale or new construction projects. On the other hand, several tasks remain highly resistant to automation, bolstering job security for skilled tradespeople in this field. Operating motorized pumps to remove water from flooded areas, for example, often requires situational awareness and adaptation to unpredictable conditions, making it less amenable to automation. Additionally, welding small pipes or handling special piping with specialized techniques or materials—such as computer-assisted welding in microchip fabrication—demands fine motor skills and expertise that are difficult for machines to replicate. Repairing hydraulic or air pumps further requires troubleshooting and diagnostic abilities, which are closely tied to human intuition and technical judgment. These resistant tasks often rely on bottleneck skills like originality, rated at 2.5% and 2.6% for this occupation, underscoring the value of creative problem-solving and adaptive thinking in jobs that cannot be readily automated.