How To Become A Pipefitter And Foreman: What It Is and Career Path

What is a pipefitter and foreman and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a pipefitter and foreman. For example, did you know that they make an average of $32.32 an hour? That's $67,217 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 2% and produce 9,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScorePipefitter And ForemanUS Average

Salary

5.3

Avg. Salary $67,217

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.06%

Asian 1.42%

Black or African American 5.36%

Hispanic or Latino 22.91%

Unknown 3.87%

White 65.38%

Gender

female 3.41%

male 96.59%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a pipefitter and foreman

Explore pipefitter and foreman education requirements

Most common pipefitter and foreman degrees

High School Diploma

50.0 %

Associate

22.3 %

Bachelor's

10.9 %

Start to develop specific pipefitter and foreman skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	10.42%
Hot Water	7.17%
Pipe Supports	7.13%
Professional Development	6.63%
Pipe Systems	6.17%

Complete relevant pipefitter and foreman training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New pipefitter and foremen learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a pipefitter and foreman based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real pipefitter and foreman resumes.

Research pipefitter and foreman duties and responsibilities

Supervise subcontractors and conduct onsite inspections to ensure exceptional project outcomes achieve on-time and within budget.
Install with HVAC mechanical piping, steel piping, copper piping, and PVC piping.
Remove old insulation such as asbestos, following safety procedures.
Work extremely well within OSHA's requirements and receive many awards.

Prepare your pipefitter and foreman resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your pipefitter and foreman resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a pipefitter and foreman resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable pipefitter and foreman resume templates

Build a professional pipefitter and foreman resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your pipefitter and foreman resume.