re: What can you tell me about being a Pipefitter?

People just want to make millions in crypto nowadays. No one wants to spend their time working their lives away anymore!! Damn kids

I did electrical construction for a few years before getting on with a plant as an electrician, then became an operator 15 years ago.
As a pipe fitter, be prepared to pull on wrenches all day long, in breathing air, while wearing a harness, and dressed out in a chem suit.
You will make very good money, but you will earn it. If you do it right, you can work about 6 months a year. Most turnaround are 30-90 days long. New construction projects are probably 60-120 days long. You work a couple turnarounds, and then take a few weeks off.
Pipe fitting can be (and is) a dangerous job, especially working a TA for an active plant.

Become a plumber!! They kill it.

For those with good work ethic and some brains, it’s a really good profession. If you want a bit more flexible hours, you may want to stop at ‘plumber’.

Pipe fitters can make quite a bit more but like anything, it’s what you’re willing to give up.

LINK

I can tell you that telecommunication workers (Lily, Inc.) are in demand at the moment. Not huge demand like past rounds, but they’re taking on new folks and slowly building new crews. You will start at the bottom—earning generally $20ish/hour for the first 6 month probation period, then progress to the current contract max for entry level which is $27ish. Guaranteed 40 plus plenty of 1.5 OT. Get lined out, trained, and finish probation, you’re making $60K/year with decent benefits, 3 weeks vacation, and a (very) small pension. The work itself isn’t terrible compared to pipefitting. I grew up on a dairy, so real work never bothered me. But, anyway, you’ll be outdoors certainly and subject to the weather. But, not locked into a plant or breathing whatever they’re cooking. I went that route at 2x your age. They seemed reluctant to take me, but I hired on, put my head down, and busted arse for 5 years. Ultimately topped out and started getting assigned to emergency jobs around the state and was making $70K with 4 weeks vacation. From there, a few management slots opened, and I started bidding before landing one around my 6 year anniversary. Pay and benefits aren’t significantly better (although Ida helped a lot in 2021), but otherwise it’s a $75K job that can be done in a 40 hour week with time left over for family and friends. There are other ways out of the entry levels besides management. You can also bid on craft jobs which start around $35/hour and go close to $50. Plus OT. Those guys get a better contract and consistently earn >$100K/year with a stupid amount of vacation, etc. I tried for some of those and may still try to get over there. They still have to bust arse, but they drive nice trucks when they go home.

To be clear, this is one company perspective. Others may and probably do differ. But, it’s something I’d consider pushing my own kid towards if he’s not college material and doesn’t want to do electricity/instrumentation.

There’s a lot of truths in this thread, but also some lies. To be a pipe fitter you don’t need to work in plants doing turnarounds. You’ll make a little less money, but there are fabrication shops all over the state, particularly around BR, that will earn you a good living as a fitter without all the travel and long hours. Epic, Turner, Cajun, Performance, and many many more. Trade school is a great way to start a very honest living.

Pipe fitter is a good trade and a good skill to know if that’s where you have an opportunity to start but it’s not something you learn well overnight, lots of time and experience needed to get good, lots of measurements, calculations and math involved to do it right.
After working in industrial maintenance and construction most of my life, I would recommend a young guy like you try to at least go to trade school, even if it’s at night after work and I’d consider the Instrumentation field maybe ICE, instrumentation, controls and electrical. I watched guys in that craft do a lot less physical work than mechanics, welders and fitters and making more per hour doing it. If I were gonna start my career over, it’s what I’d do if I wasn’t getting a degree.

You trying to muscle in on 7thWard’s turf?