Compare A Ironworker ↔ B Plumber

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1 move · +$7,600 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Plumber: Journeyman Plumber (TSBPE), Tradesman Plumber-Limited (TSBPE) license, experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Ironworker to Plumber +$7,600 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.86.
- Gates: Journeyman Plumber (TSBPE), Tradesman Plumber-Limited (TSBPE) license, experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Repairing, Troubleshooting, Critical Thinking

Side by side

All Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters: Texas median $59,840, $7,600 more a year than all Structural Iron and Steel Workers ($52,240), every experience level.

More than 40 hours a week: Plumber 27%, Ironworker 34%.

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$52,240+$7,600$59,840

Gates on the route: Journeyman Plumber (TSBPE), Tradesman Plumber-Limited (TSBPE) license, experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +3.6% Texas, 850 openings a year

B +8.9% Texas, 4,220 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

34%-7 pts27%

Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first

3.4 / 5+0.33.7 / 5

Outdoors, all weather+1.02Outdoors, all weather: A 2.87, B 3.89
Cramped space+0.85Cramped space: A 2.95, B 3.8
Climbing ladders+0.68Climbing ladders: A 3.07, B 3.75
Standing+0.32Standing: A 4.37, B 4.69
Bending or twisting-0.30Bending or twisting: A 4.13, B 3.83

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 7% do).

B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 0% do).

License

A No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).

B Texas: Journeyman Plumber license (TSBPE): 8,000 hours as a registered apprentice, a 48-hour course or DOL apprenticeship, and an exam. Tradesman Plumber-Limited (4,000 hours) covers 1-2 family homes.

Experience

A Most common related work experience: none (O*NET: 57%).

B Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 57%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Judgment and Decision Making
Monitoring
Complex Problem Solving
Coordination
Operation and Control
Operations Monitoring

To build: 3

Repairing +1.37
Troubleshooting +0.87
Critical Thinking +0.50

Make this your goal

Save Ironworker to Plumber as your goal. Each step then shows the hours you have logged toward it, your exam practice and your license, with the one thing to do next and the 3 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.