How to Become a Pipefitter
Are you looking for a career path that has promise for real growth, can be financially rewarding, and gives you the chance to work with your hands in the field rather than spend your days in an office? Pipefitting could be the industry for you. There are more than 100,000 jobs projected to open in this industry around the country by 2024*.
Pipefitters prepare, cut, and weld steel pipe at job sites for construction projects, infrastructure maintenance, manufacturing facilities and many other workplaces. These jobs require strong skills in many types of welding, including plasma arc cutting, shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, and flux core arc welding. And while it’s important to understand the math and science behind each technique, hands-on experience is what employers are looking for when it comes time to start your new career.
Pipefitting Jobs Call for Hands-On Experience
Here are three basic steps to follow if you want to know how to become a pipefitter:
1. Explore the welding and pipefitting opportunities where you live. Resources like careeronestop.org and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics make it easy to see local information on how fast these fields are growing near you. For example, by 2024 welding job opportunities are expected to grow by almost 20,000 across Texas, more than 2,000 across Colorado, more than 2,500 in New York, more than 600 in Connecticut, and more than 2,100 across Tennessee.
2. Get formal training from an accredited school. Schools like Lincoln Tech in Grand Prairie, TX include pipefitting technology in their welding career training programs. These programs are excellent places to start when you want to build a foundation for career success in an industry that literally builds America. When weighing your options, look for schools that train students with industry-standard equipment and instructors who bring experience and enthusiasm to the classroom.
3. Begin an apprenticeship and work towards certifications and licensing. Upon completion of a training program, work with career search professionals who can help connect you with apprenticeship opportunities near you. In a hands-on field like pipefitting, these apprenticeships are great ways to make connections with hiring managers and other industry professionals, and you’ll gain experience that can help prepare you for important industry certifications.
Hands-on careers like pipefitting start with hands-on skills – and programs like Welding Technology with an Introduction to Pipefitting at Lincoln Tech in Grand Prairie are the best ways to start building those skills.
* Source: careeronestop.org, for the years 2014-2024.