Sat 1 Mar 2008
Steamfitter / Pipefitter
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Do you like machines? Do you enjoy careful, precise work? Are you good with your hands? Could you work with power tools? Are you physically fit? Do you enjoy working independently with little supervision? Then, steamfitter/pipefitter could be the career for you!
What the work is like
Steamfitter/pipefitters build, install and maintain piping systems that carry water, steam, chemicals and fuel.
They are employed by pipeline construction contractors, thermal or steam generating plants, utility companies, oil refineries, pulp mills, and gas and chemical plants. They may also be self-employed.
Steamfitter/pipefitters work in the new home building and renovation, heavy industrial, and institutional and commercial construction sectors.
Your duties
As a steamfitter/pipefitter, your duties may include:
- Installing supports, valves, piping and control systems
- Welding pipes to form piping systems
- Measuring, cutting, threading and bending piping using hand and power tools
- Cutting openings for piping in walls, floors and ceilings
- Selecting type and size of piping
- Cleaning and maintaining pipes
- Preparing cost estimates
- Reading and interpreting blueprints
Work conditions
The standard work week for steamfitter/pipefitters is 40 hours (8 hours a day, 5 days a week). As with many careers in construction, there are peak periods that will require you to work overtime. The number of additional hours you work each week depends on the construction sector and region you work in, and will vary from one job to the next.
As a steamfitter/pipefitter, you may work indoors and outdoors, often at physically demanding tasks that may require climbing. You may have to travel for some jobs and live on-site at a company camp.
As with all careers in the construction industry, safety is the top priority. Steamfitter/pipefitters are trained to work safely, and wear special equipment to protect themselves from injury.
Essential skills
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has identified nine essential skills that are necessary to succeed in the workplace. These skills provide the foundation for learning all other skills and are applicable to most construction careers. Best of all, you can learn and improve on these skills in school, on the job, and during your everyday life.
The most important Essential Skills for steamfitters and pipefitters are:
- Numeracy—working with numbers to perform calculations
- Oral communication—conveying or exchanging information verbally
- Problem solving—coming up with solutions to challenges
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is one way of starting out in the construction industry. It involves both classroom studies and on-the-job training under the supervision of a certified steamfitter/pipefitter, called a journeyperson.
As an apprentice, you earn while you learn and are paid by the hour while working on the job site. Wages start at about 50% of a journeyperson’s hourly rate and increase during your apprenticeship, until you reach the full rate.
Entering an apprenticeship program
Requirements for steamfitter/pipefitter apprenticeship programs vary across Canada. In most provinces and territories, you must be at least 16 years old and have a Grade 10 education, or equivalent, to enter a steamfitter/pipefitter apprenticeship program. You may also need to have completed courses in mathematics.
Some provinces and territories offer secondary school apprenticeship programs that allow high school students to work towards a career as a steamfitter/pipefitter.
Program length
Apprenticeship training programs for steamfitter/pipefitters vary across Canada, but generally involve four 12-month periods, including at least 6,000 hours of on-the-job training, four 8-week blocks of technical training, and a final certificate examination.
Related work experience or completion of a steamfitter/pipefitter program at a college or technical institute can reduce the time required to complete your apprenticeship.
Certification
Steamfitter/pipefitter certification is required in some provinces, and is available but voluntary in other provinces and territories. Even where certification is voluntary, it is still recommended. Certification tells employers and other workers that you are a skilled professional. It also helps you get jobs.
To be certified as a steamfitter/pipefitter you usually need to complete a four-year apprenticeship program. Once you successfully complete the on-the-job training, technical training and examinations required by the program, you are awarded a journeyperson certificate.
If you have over five years of on-the-job experience and some high school, college or industry courses in steamfitting/pipefitting, you may be eligible for steamfitter/pipefitter certification in some provinces and territories.
As a certified steamfitter/pipefitter, you may attempt the Interprovincial Exam to qualify for the Interprovincial Standards’ Red Seal. With a Red Seal, you can work as a steamfitter/pipefitter anywhere in Canada.
Certification for steamfitter/pipefitters is compulsory in:
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Ontario
- Québec
It is available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and territories.
To keep your skills current, you have to keep up with new technological developments by reading and talking with other steamfitter/pipefitters.
Salary ranges
TYPICAL WORK WEEK/YEAR *
| JOURNEYPERSON |
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| HOURLY SALARY RANGE | |||||||||||||||||||||
| LOW | HIGH | ||||||||||||||||||||
| $27 | $35 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| APPRENTICE | ||
| HOURLY SALARY RANGE | ||
| LOW | HIGH | |
| YEAR 1 – 50 % | $ 13.50 | $ 17.50 |
| YEAR 2 – 60 % | $ 16.20 | $ 21.00 |
| YEAR 3 – 70 % | $ 18.90 | $ 24.50 |
| YEAR 4 – 80% | $ 21.60 | $ 28.00 |
In addition to their hourly rate, many construction workers receive statutory holiday and vacation pay. Depending on the contract, you may also receive benefits such as group insurance for health, dental and vision care, retirement packages, and training benefits up to 30% of your hourly rate.
If you are self-employed, it’s up to you to arrange your own benefits.
* Wages vary across Canada, among labour organization locals and among open-shop construction contractors.
** Most construction work involves overtime, so your annual salary will vary depending on the number of hours you work. The salary range listed above represents the annual salary range for full-time journeyperson steamfitter/pipefitters across Canada, based on a 40-hour work week, without taking overtime into account.
Building your career
With experience and additional training, you can move into more senior positions, including supervisory roles such as foreman or construction superintendent. You can also become self-employed and work as a contractor or sub-contractor.
As with most careers in the construction industry, your skills are portable. If you want to move, you can take your skills with you.
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- Plumber
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