Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter

Types of Degrees Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many pipefitting/pipefitter & sprinkler fitter graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	394
Associate Degree	145
Basic Certificate	124

What Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills for Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter:

• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Time Management - Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter Majors

As a pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter Major?

People with a pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	12.6%	$65,230
Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters	15.6%	$53,910
Solar Energy Installation Managers	12.6%	$65,230

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter?

This major attracts more men than women. About 99% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	0
Black or African American	7
Hispanic or Latino	6
White	119
International Students	1
Other Races/Ethnicities	12

How Much Do Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $58,150 to $70,540 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter

Some careers associated with pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	10.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	32.4%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	33.6%
Some College Courses	18.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	3.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	1.2%
Master’s Degree	0.9%

Online Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	24	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	5	0
Associate’s Degree	15	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter Worth It?

The median salary for a pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter grad is $58,150 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 46% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $365,000 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter.

Major	Number of Grads
Plumbing Technology/Plumber	2,209
Other Plumbing & Related Water Supply Services	11
Well Drilling/Driller	5
Blasting/Blaster	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Tomwsulcer under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.