Pipefitters - Employment & Outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this occupation in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

Employment

Major employers:

Plumbing contractors

Outlook

Growth for this occupation will be about as fast as average. Demand for plumbers is expected to come from new building construction and stricter water standards for plumbing systems, such as low-flow toilets and showerheads. The construction of new power plants and factories should increase demand for pipefitters. Additional jobs will stem from the repair and maintenance of residential, commercial, and industrial pipe systems. It will also stem from building renovation.

Jobs for plumbers and pipefitters are usually less affected by the economy than other construction trades. This is because plumbing repairs often cannot be put off. Job opportunities will be best for those with experience and formal or apprenticeship training.

Plumbers and Pipefitters (CIS 100413)

Location	Employment	&	Growth		>>>>	Annual openings
			This occupation	All occupations
Illinois	17,305 Very large	&	14.2%	5.8%	>>>>	2,158 Very High
Champaign Area	360 Very large	&	19.2%	7.0%	>>>>	47 Very High
Charleston-Effingham-Centralia Area	309 Large	&	18.1%	5.0%	>>>>	40 Very High
Cook County	6,226 Large	&	13.4%	5.6%	>>>>	769 Very High
Decatur Area	226 Very large	&	11.5%	7.0%	>>>>	28 Very High
DeKalb-Elgin-Aurora Area	1,081 Very large	&	15.1%	9.7%	>>>>	136 Very High
Du Page County	2,300 Very large	&	11.6%	5.4%	>>>>	278 Very High
Edwardsville Area	354 Very large	&	21.5%	5.1%	>>>>	48 Very High
Jacksonville-Carlinville-Litchfield Area	131 Large	&	19.8%	7.0%	>>>>	18 High
Kankakee-Morris-Pontiac Area	232 Very large	&	0.9%	5.2%	>>>>	24 High
Lake County	956 Very large	&	20.0%	8.6%	>>>>	127 Very High
McHenry County	547 Very large	&	28.9%	6.8%	>>>>	81 Very High
Mt Vernon-Marion-Carbondale Area	256 Very large	&	9.0%	6.8%	>>>>	30 Very High
Northwest Illinois Area	372 Very large	&	9.9%	3.6%	>>>>	44 Very High
Peoria-Bloomington Area	798 Very large	&	10.2%	7.3%	>>>>	94 Very High
Quincy-Macomb-Galesburg Area	218 Large	&	8.7%	4.3%	>>>>	25 High
Rock Island-Moline Area	302 Very large	&	2.0%	5.7%	>>>>	32 High
Rockford Area	551 Very large	&	21.4%	7.6%	>>>>	75 Very High
Shawnee National Forest Area	148 Very large	&	-0.7%	2.4%	>>>>	15 High
Springfield Area	352 Large	&	13.4%	4.7%	>>>>	44 High
St Louis-Belleville Area	472 Very large	&	20.1%	6.4%	>>>>	64 Very High
Vermilion County	60 Large	&	0.0%	4.9%	>>>>	6 Moderate
Will County	1,124 Very large	&	16.5%	9.1%	>>>>	143 Very High
United States	490,200 Very large	&	4.3%	3.7%	>>>>	49,800 Very High