Job Check
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.
10 main tasks · most important first
Your main tasks and AI
Importance- 01Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.Mostly human for now
- 02Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.Mostly human for now
- 03Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.Mostly human for now
- 04Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.Mostly human for now
- 05Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.Mostly human for now
- 06Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 07Plan pipe system layout, installation, or repair, according to specifications.Mostly human for now
- 08Review blueprints, building codes, or specifications to determine work details or procedures.People already use AI for this at work
- 09Select pipe sizes, types, or related materials, such as supports, hangers, or hydraulic cylinders, according to specifications.Mostly human for now
- 10Fill pipes or plumbing fixtures with water or air and observe pressure gauges to detect and locate leaks.Mostly human for now
Tasks from O*NET® 31.0 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0, changed by us), most important first. “Already use” comes from Anthropic’s data on real work chats with Claude; “could speed up” from task ratings made with GPT-4 in 2023.
Four studies, side by side
None is a forecast of job loss1%of this job’s work time goes to tasks that people already do with Claude at work, counting tasks where AI only helps as half (2026).Anthropic, 2026
10%of this job’s tasks an AI model could do in half the time, counting tasks that need extra tools as half (rated in 2023).Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, 2023
Above 20% of jobsin how often and how well AI helped with this job’s work in Microsoft Copilot chats (2024 data).Microsoft Research (Tomlinson et al.), 2025
Above 66% of jobsin how much of this job’s physical work robots have been shown to do, from factories to homes (2026).Anthropic, 2026
Your human edge
The main tasks with no real AI use seen and no big speed-up expected. This is where your skill counts most today.
- Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.
- Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.
- Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.