Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting

Types of Degrees Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	450
Associate’s Degree	168
Basic Certificate	156

What Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

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

A major in pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• 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

Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• 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 Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting 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 Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 97% of recent graduates are men.

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	138
International Students	3
Other Races/Ethnicities	14

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter, too. About 1.8% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $58,150 to $70,540 (25th to 75th percentile). 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 Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting

Some degrees associated with pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

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 Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting Programs

In 2018-2019, 48 schools offered a pipefitting/pipefitter and sprinkler fitter program of some type. 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)	21	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	25	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	5	0
Associate’s Degree	13	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	21	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 Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting 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 Pipe & Sprinkler Fitting

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	1,617
Other Plumbing & Related Water Supply Services	204
Well Drilling/Driller	11
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.