Plumber
B-08B Other Construction electrical jobs · Skilled level · O*NET 47-2152.00
- Texas median
whole occupation, 2025 - $59,840
- work over
40 h a week - 27%
- load index
from O*NET data - 3.7/5
- Texas jobs
2024 to 2034 - +8.9%
Pay
This level's pay
No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.
All pay records and context (1)
- State of Texas class salary ranges for this occupation (which class equals this rung is not published here): Plumber I $40,918 to $61,130 · Plumber II $45,521 to $71,055 · Plumber III $51,158 to $81,351 Fiscal 2026-27 (Sept 1, 2025 - Aug 31, 2027) source
Whole occupation: all Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, Texas BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000047215213 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 44,090 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000047215201).
BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000047215213 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 44,090 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000047215201).
Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, not level-specific TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- Texas
- +8.9% jobs · about 4,220 openings a year (45,260 jobs in 2024)
- United States
- +4.5% jobs · about 44,000 openings a year (504,500 jobs in 2024)
Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.
Hours O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2022, n = 45 respondents, O*NET OnLine
O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2022, n = 45 respondents, O*NET OnLine
Schedule: regular 61% · irregular 39% · seasonal 0%
Physical load 3.7 of 5, our index from O*NET Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (3.64, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.66, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (3.64, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.66, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Body
- Standing4.69
- Walking or running3.86
- Bending or twisting3.83
- Climbing ladders3.75
- Kneeling or crawling3.21
- Keeping balance2.48
Exposure
- Hazardous equipment3.91
- Outdoors, all weather3.89
- Cramped space3.8
- High places3.78
- Very hot or cold3.57
- Protective gear3.55
- Hazardous conditions3.15
Getting in
- License
- 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.
- Degree
- 0% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: Post-Secondary Certificate
- Experience
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years of related experience is the most common answer (57% of workers).
O*NET
- O*NET Related Work Experience, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, O*NET OnLine
- Preparation
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Why this level
- Skilled: O*NET Job Zone 3 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior). Texas: Journeyman Plumber (TSBPE) (Registered Plumber's Apprentice (or Tradesman), at least 8,000 hours in the plumbing trade, and a 48-hour TSBPE-approved course or a DOL-registered apprenticeship).
Moves to the side 6
- B Plumber Helper O*NET lists Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.88. License gate: Plumber's Apprentice registration (TSBPE).
- R1 Facilities Technician O*NET lists Maintenance and Repair Workers, General as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.82. License: depends on the work.
- B Pipelayer O*NET lists Pipelayers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.80. License: depends on the work.
- B Boilermaker O*NET lists Boilermakers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.78. License gate: not checked yet.
What the work is 6 core tasks
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.
- 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.
- Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
- Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.
- Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints.
Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.
Top skills
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
- Coordination
- Operation and Control
Sources (4)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000047215213, read 2026-10-03
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 47-2152.00 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, read 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license
Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.
