Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Cut or drill holes in walls or floors to accommodate the passage of pipes.
• Perform rough-ins, repair and replace fixtures and water heaters, and locate, repair, or remove leaking or broken pipes.
• Assist pipe fitters in the layout, assembly, and installation of piping for air, ammonia, gas, and water systems.
• Clean and renew steam traps.
• Clean shop, work area, and machines, using solvent and rags.
• Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks, pumps, or systems, using hand tools.
• Mount brackets and hangers on walls and ceilings to hold pipes, and set sleeves or inserts to provide support for pipes.
• Cut or drill holes in walls or floors to accommodate the passage of pipes.
• Fill pipes with sand or resin to prevent distortion, and hold pipes during bending and installation.
• Install gas burners to convert furnaces from wood, coal, or oil.
• Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service.
• Requisition tools and equipment, select type and size of pipe, and collect and transport materials and equipment to work site.
• Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports.
• Cut pipe and lift up to fitters.
• Cut pipe and lift up to fitters.
• Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports.
• Fit or assist in fitting valves, couplings, or assemblies to tanks, pumps, or systems, using hand tools.
• Immerse pipe in chemical solution to remove dirt, oil, and scale.
• Requisition tools and equipment, select type and size of pipe, and collect and transport materials and equipment to work site.
• Requisition tools and equipment, select type and size of pipe, and collect and transport materials and equipment to work site.
• Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports.
• Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service.
• Clean and renew steam traps.
• Disassemble and remove damaged or worn pipe.

Skills

• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

Abilities

• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.

Knowledge

• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• 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.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• 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.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Education

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Less than 1 month on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

58240/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

28/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

510

Yearly Projected Openings

60

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Cooperation

Tools

• Adjustable widemouth pliers
• Adjustable wrenches
• Air compressors
• Alternating current AC arc welder
• Augers
• Backhoes
• Ball peen hammer
• Bandsaw wheel
• Bench vises
• Blocks or pulleys
• Blow torch
• Bolt cutters
• Boring or sinking machinery
• Box end wrenches
• Calipers
• Caulking guns
• Circuit tracers
• Compactors
• Deburring tool
• Detection apparatus for non metallic objects
• Dewatering pumps
• Diagonal cut pliers
• Diaphragm pumps
• Digital camcorders or video cameras
• Direct current DC arc welder
• Drain or pipe cleaning equipment
• Drain or toilet plunger
• Dredgers
• Drill press or radial drill
• Dump trucks
• Explosimeters
• Flat hand file
• Flow sensors
• Fluid regulators
• Forklifts
• Gas detectors
• Gas generators
• Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus
• Graders
• Hacksaw
• Hammer drills
• Hand reamer
• Hex keys
• Hoists
• Hole saws
• Hose cutter
• Hydraulic truck cranes
• Impact hammers
• Impact wrenches
• Industrial threading die
• Inspection mirror
• Integrated tool carriers
• Jacks
• Ladders
• Laser measuring systems
• Leak testing equipment
• Level sensors or transmitters
• Levels
• Light trucks or sport utility vehicles
• Liquid leak detectors
• Locking pliers
• Manlift or personnel lift
• Metal band sawing machine
• Metal detectors
• Metal inert gas welding machine
• Metal markers or holders
• Moisture meters
• Mud pumps
• Nut drivers
• Offset socket wrenches
• Ohmmeters
• Oil gun
• Open end wrenches
• Pipe bending mandrel
• Pipe bending tools
• Pipe extractors
• Pipe layer
• Pipe or tube cutter
• Pipe reamer
• Pipe vises
• Pipe wrenches
• Pneumatic drill
• Pneumatic grinders
• Pneumatic hammer
• Pneumatic sanding machines
• Power drills
• Power flaring tool
• Power grinders
• Power saws
• Power screwguns
• Pressure indicators
• Pressure or steam cleaners
• Pry bars
• Pullers
• Ratchets
• Round file
• Safety harnesses or belts
• Scaffolding
• Screwdrivers
• Sewage pumps
• Sheet metal grooving machine
• Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
• Shovels
• Sledge hammer
• Slings
• Slip or groove joint pliers
• Soldering iron
• Specialty wrenches
• Spot welding machine
• Square file
• Staple guns
• Strap wrenches
• Sump pumps
• Swaging tools
• Tachometers
• Tampers
• Tape measures
• Tapping machine attachment
• Thermographs
• Threading die hand tool
• Threading machine
• Tinners snips
• Tongs
• Torx keys
• Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe
• Track excavators
• Track loaders
• Trenching machines
• Tube end finisher
• Tungsten inert gas welding machine
• Two way radios
• Vacuum gauges
• Vibration testers
• Voltage or current meters
• Water pumps
• Water samplers
• Welder torch
• Welding masks
• Wheel bulldozers
• Wheel loaders
• Winches
• Wire brushes
• Wire or cable cutter

Technology

• Office suite software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software