Plumbers & Pipefitters vs Sheet Metal Workers
Median pay is about $2k higher for Plumbers & Pipefitters. The usual entry education is apprenticeship plus license for Plumbers & Pipefitters and apprenticeship for Sheet Metal Workers.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Plumbers & Pipefitters | Sheet Metal Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $63,800, higher | $61,800 |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $50,190, higher | $47,830 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $85,110, higher | $81,610 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +6.8% Growing fast, higher | +2.5% Growing |
| Openings a year | 42,000 | 9,800 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Apprenticeship plus license | Apprenticeship |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.4 / 5 | 2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 24th pct | 8th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Plumbers & Pipefitters
- Writing
Only Sheet Metal Workers
- Mathematics
Both lean on critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension, speaking, active listening.
More comparisons
Compare Plumbers & Pipefitters with
Compare Sheet Metal Workers with
Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.