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AI exposure Construction and extraction

Will AI replace plumbers?

Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. US occupation 47-2152.

1.2%

of the time plumbers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of plumbers' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 334 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 55% of them.Further along than 55% of them.

Average US job 7.7%

Around the middle of the pack.Keeping pace with the average job.

What AI already does for plumbersWhat plumbers no longer do alone

O*NET lists 51 tasks for plumbers. AI use at work shows up in 1 of them. Each score runs from 0.5, where every observed use helps a person with the task, to 1, where every use does the task outright.

  1. Review blueprints, building codes, or specifications to determine work details or procedures.Core task mostly automated 0.95

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

50 of the 51 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Anchor steel supports from ceiling joists to hold pipes in place.Core task
  • Apply operation or identification tags or labels to system components, as required.Core task
  • Apply weather seal, such as pipe flashings and sealants, to roof penetrations and structural devices.Core task
  • Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.Core task
  • Assess collector sites to ensure structural integrity of potential mounting surfaces or the best orientation and tilt for solar collectors.Core task
  • Attach pipes to walls, structures, or fixtures, such as radiators or tanks, using brackets, clamps, tools, or welding equipment.Core task
Show the other 44
  • Connect water heaters and storage tanks to power and water sources.Core task
  • Cut openings in structures to accommodate pipes or pipe fittings, using hand or power tools.Core task
  • Cut, miter, and glue piping insulation to insulate plumbing pipes and fittings.Core task
  • Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.Core task
  • Demonstrate start-up, shut-down, maintenance, diagnostic, and safety procedures to thermal system owners.Core task
  • Design active direct or indirect, passive direct or indirect, or pool solar systems.Core task
  • Determine locations for installing solar subsystem components, including piping, water heaters, valves, and ancillary equipment.Core task
  • Direct helpers engaged in pipe cutting, preassembly, or installation of plumbing systems or components.Core task
  • Estimate time, material, or labor costs for use in project plans.Core task
  • Fill pipes or plumbing fixtures with water or air and observe pressure gauges to detect and locate leaks.Core task
  • Fill water tanks and check tanks, pipes, and fittings for leaks.Core task
  • Identify plumbing, electrical, environmental, or safety hazards associated with solar thermal installations.Core task
  • Inspect structures to assess material or equipment needs, to establish the sequence of pipe installations, or to plan installation around obstructions, such as electrical wiring.Core task
  • Inspect, examine, or test installed systems or pipe lines, using pressure gauge, hydrostatic testing, observation, or other methods.Core task
  • Install automatic controls to regulate pipe systems.Core task
  • Install circulating pumps using pipe, fittings, soldering equipment, electrical supplies, and hand tools.Core task
  • Install copper or plastic plumbing using pipes, fittings, pipe cutters, acetylene torches, solder, wire brushes, sand cloths, flux, plastic pipe cleaners, or plastic glue.Core task
  • Install flat-plat, evacuated glass, or concentrating solar collectors on mounting devices, using brackets or struts.Core task
  • Install green plumbing equipment, such as faucet flow restrictors, dual-flush or pressure-assisted flush toilets, or tankless hot water heaters.Core task
  • Install heat exchangers and heat exchanger fluids according to installation manuals and schematics.Core task
  • Install monitoring system components, such as flow meters, temperature gauges, and pressure gauges, according to system design and manufacturer specifications.Core task
  • Install pipe assemblies, fittings, valves, appliances such as dishwashers or water heaters, or fixtures such as sinks or toilets, using hand or power tools.Core task
  • Install plumbing, such as dip tubes, port fittings, drain tank valves, pressure temperature relief valves, or tanks, according to manufacturer specifications and building codes.Core task
  • Install solar collector mounting devices on tile, asphalt, shingle, or built-up gravel roofs, using appropriate materials and penetration methods.Core task
  • Install solar thermal system controllers and sensors.Core task
  • Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.Core task
  • Keep records of work assignments.Core task
  • Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints.Core task
  • Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.Core task
  • Maintain or repair plumbing by replacing defective washers, replacing or mending broken pipes, or opening clogged drains.Core task
  • Modify, clean, or maintain pipe systems, units, fittings, or related machines or equipment, using hand or power tools.Core task
  • Perform routine maintenance or repairs to restore solar thermal systems to baseline operating conditions.Core task
  • Plan pipe system layout, installation, or repair, according to specifications.Core task
  • Repair or remove and replace system components.Core task
  • Select pipe sizes, types, or related materials, such as supports, hangers, or hydraulic cylinders, according to specifications.Core task
  • Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.Core task
  • Test operation or functionality of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and control systems.Core task
  • Apply ultraviolet radiation protection to prevent degradation of plumbing.
  • Inspect work sites for obstructions or holes that could cause structural weakness.
  • Install fixtures, appliances, or equipment designed to reduce water or energy consumption.
  • Install pipe systems to support alternative energy-fueled systems, such as geothermal heating or cooling systems.
  • Operate motorized pumps to remove water from flooded manholes, basements, or facility floors.
  • Repair hydraulic or air pumps.
  • Weld small pipes or special piping, using specialized techniques, equipment, or materials, such as computer-assisted welding or microchip fabrication.

How that compares

Among the 56 construction and extraction occupations, plumbers rank 7. The group averages 0.4%, and its most exposed job is Structural Iron and Steel Workers at 4.9%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 1.2%

  1. 334Childcare Workers 1.2%
  2. 334Cooks, Restaurant 1.2%
  3. 334Genetic Counselors 1.2%

Just below

  1. 338Funeral Home Managers 1.1%
  2. 338Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators 1.1%
  3. 340Civil Engineers 0.8%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.