jobfacts

Pipe fitter

Pipe fitters — SOC 2020 5214

Pipe fitters install pipe systems and maintain and repair pipes in major utilities, industrial and construction settings and sites.

Also calledPipefitterBrine pipe manPipe erectorPipe layerPipe manPipe fitter-welderand 9 more titles
Typical full-time pay£42,6002025 Provisional
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month233↑ 2%on last year · 334th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time pipe fitters earn, 2025
£42,600 typicaln/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%Not published
Median£42,600
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £42,600
Scotland!£39,000
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £42,600
Scotland£39,000 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £38,900
  • 2024 £46,000
  • 2025 Provisional£42,600
↑ 9.6% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 233 jobs for pipe fitters are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (4 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026286
Jul 2026284
Jun 2026Not published
May 2026217
Apr 2026272
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026236
Jan 2026260
Dec 2025116
Nov 2025194
Oct 2025228
Sept 2025237
Aug 2025334
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025284
Apr 2025208
Mar 2025254
Feb 2025253
Jan 2025197
Dec 202495
Nov 2024176
Oct 2024186
Sept 2024272
Aug 2024350
Jul 2024364
Jun 2024289
May 2024308
Apr 2024284
Mar 2024208
Feb 2024220
Jan 2024199
Dec 2023119
Nov 2023172
Oct 2023142
Sept 2023216
Aug 2023244
Jul 2023266
Jun 2023376
May 2023285
Apr 2023237
Mar 2023290
Feb 2023222
Jan 2023254
Dec 2022169
Nov 2022146
Oct 2022230
Sept 2022257
Aug 2022315
Jul 2022378
Jun 2022269
May 2022235
Apr 2022167
Mar 2022257
Feb 2022159
Jan 2022166
Dec 2021145
Nov 2021118
Oct 2021174
Sept 2021185
Aug 2021220
Jul 2021316
Jun 2021238
May 2021285
Apr 2021230
Mar 2021307
Feb 2021246
Jan 2021200
Dec 2020171
Nov 2020257
Oct 2020255
Sept 2020215
Aug 2020204
Jul 2020191
Jun 2020112
May 202090
Apr 2020107
Mar 2020175
Feb 2020232
Jan 2020174
Dec 2019126
Nov 2019134
Oct 2019195
Sept 2019242
Aug 2019271
Jul 2019353
Jun 2019275
May 2019208
Apr 2019124
Mar 2019187
Feb 2019183
Jan 2019218
Dec 2018118
Nov 2018173
Oct 2018257
Sept 2018262
Aug 2018324
Jul 2018300
Jun 2018233
May 2018219
Apr 2018191
Mar 2018219
Feb 2018186
Jan 2018220
Dec 2017133
Nov 2017211
Oct 2017217
Sept 2017226
Aug 2017375
Jul 2017427
Jun 2017377
May 2017315
Apr 2017238
Mar 2017299
Feb 2017234
Jan 2017241
Is there a shortage of pipe fitters?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
46%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for metal forming, welding and related trades, which includes pipe fitters. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London52
Renfrewshire21
Flintshire19
Somerset15
Inverclyde14
Glasgow City13
Bradford11
Bristol, City of10
Leeds10
Chichester9
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where pipe fitters are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 15 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Philippines, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, ranking it 198th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of pipe fitters
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
25–34Not published
35–44Not published
45–54Not published
55–64Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent–
Not published
A levels or equivalent!448%
GCSEs or equivalent–
Not published
Other qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalentNot published
A levels or equivalent448% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalentNot published
Other qualificationsNot published

How to get in

Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 448%
Apprenticeships
1
from level 3
Apprenticeships take
3 years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

College

You can do a college course, which may help you to get a trainee pipe fitter's job.

Courses include:

  • engineering
  • welding
  • plumbing and heating
  • building services engineering
  • T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply to join a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, such as:

  • Pipe Welder
  • Engineering Fitter
  • Maritime Pipeworker
  • Engineering Construction Pipe Fitter
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Work your way up

You might start as a general engineering operative and train on the job to become a pipe fitter.

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you'll need an industry safety certificate like the Client Contractor National Safety Group (CCNSG) Safety Passport Scheme for many jobs
Further information

You can find out more about pipe fitting from ECITB Careers and the Building and Engineering Services Association.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for pipe fitter. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

1 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • examines drawings and specifications to determine layout of piping
  • measures and cuts required lengths of copper, lead, steel, iron, aluminium or plastic piping using hand or machine tools
  • installs pipes for heating, ventilating, fire prevention, water and similar systems in industrial and construction settings, including oil rigs and terminals, sewerage systems and other mains networks
  • fits piping into position and joins sections by welding, soldering, cementing, fusing, screwing or by other methods
  • tests pipe work for leaks and makes necessary adjustments

Skills

  • use measurement instruments
  • keep records of work progress
  • detect flaws in pipeline infrastructure
  • follow health and safety procedures in construction
  • inspect construction supplies
  • inspect pipelines
  • lay pipe installation
  • use personal protection equipment
  • use safety equipment in construction
  • work ergonomically
  • keep personal administration
  • process incoming construction supplies
  • work in a construction team
  • apply health and safety standards

Knowledge

  • types of pipelines
  • types of piping

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades, a group of 23 jobs that includes pipe fitters.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 6.5%about 72,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035338,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service 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. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.