# Will AI replace plumbers? Updated October 2026 Plumbers score 23 of 100 for AI exposure. 77% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 7% today and speed up another 16%. - **7%** AI can do it - **16%** AI helps - **77%** Needs a person Low exposure Lower than 75% of the 923 occupations we scored. ## Task by task We graded 30 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 2 of them today, speeds up 4 and leaves 24 to people. | Task | AI exposure | | --- | --- | | Keep records of work assignments. Keeping work assignment records is routine administrative documentation. | 80% AI can do it | | Review blueprints, building codes, or specifications to determine work details or procedures. AI can read and summarize blueprints and code requirements quickly. | 65% AI helps | | Select pipe sizes, types, or related materials, such as supports, hangers, or hydraulic cylinders, according to specifications. Material selection from specs is lookup and calculation, reviewed by a person. | 62% AI helps | | Estimate time, material, or labor costs for use in project plans. Cost estimates from plans are structured text and number work. | 62% AI can do it | | Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints. CAD and drafting from blueprints is digital, but layout needs checking. | 55% AI helps | ## How plumbers compare All occupations (923) Construction and extraction (61) **Plumbers score 23**, marked by the dark line. Each dot is a score, darker where more occupations share it. The short marks show the averages, 37 for all occupations and 15 for construction and extraction. ## Pay and outlook in the US Median pay $63,800 a year, May 2025 People employed 465,840 in the US, May 2025 Projected change in jobs +6.8% from 2024 to 2034 ## Skills to build - Hold a current state plumbing license for permitted work - Check AI pipe layouts against site conditions before cutting - Run labor and material estimates in job costing software - Verify pipe and hanger selections against specifications in Excel - Install valves, water heaters, and fixtures manually ## Safer roles nearby 5 related occupations with lower scores. - [Plumber helpers10 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/plumber-helpers/) - [Boilermakers11 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/boilermakers/) - [Pipelayers11 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/pipelayers/) - [Maintenance workers21 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/maintenance-workers/) - [Septic tank technicians17 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/septic-tank-technicians/) ## Questions about plumbers and AI Will plumbers be replaced by AI? Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly keeping work assignment records and writing cost estimates from plans. The hands-on work of installing fixtures, repairing pipes, and anchoring supports stays with plumbers because it needs a person on site. Will AI take over plumbing? AI can already do 7% of the task time in plumbing and speeds up another 16%. People still do 77% of it. The US has 465,840 plumber jobs, with a projected change of +6.8% from 2024 to 2034. Which plumbing tasks is AI taking over? Record keeping and cost estimating lead the list. Keeping work assignment records scores 80 on exposure because it is routine administrative documentation. Estimating time, material, and labor costs scores 62 because cost figures from plans are structured number work. Blueprint review scores 65 since AI can summarize code requirements quickly. Which plumbing tasks stay human? Physical repair and installation stay human. Anchoring steel supports to ceiling joists, repairing or replacing system components, and cutting openings in structures each score just 3 on exposure. These tasks need hand and power tools used in walls and overhead spaces, where the plumber adjusts to the site as conditions change. How can plumbers stay valuable? Take on the site checks that AI layouts miss. Walk the job and confirm AI-drafted pipe routes against joists, slabs, and access points before cutting. Keep your state plumbing license current, and run estimates through job costing software and QuickBooks so bids match what the job actually costs. ## Related jobs - [HVAC technicians23 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/hvac-technicians/) - [Construction workers13 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/construction-laborers/) - [Electricians25 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/electricians/) - [Electrician helpers10 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/electrician-helpers/) ## Next steps for plumbers - ### Check your job Your job title is a rough guide. Your actual tasks decide your score. Paste your job description or CV and see which of your tasks AI can do. [Check your job](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-exposure-checker/) [Check your CV](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/cv-checker/) ### Check which roles in your team AI can take on We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first. [Book an AI audit](https://www.aigentcy.com/audit/) ## Related topics - [**Jobs AI can't replace**Cement masons score lowest, at 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-cant-replace/) - [**Jobs most at risk from AI**Proofreaders score highest, at 76.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai/) - [**High-paying jobs with low AI exposure**Radiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/high-paying-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Entry-level jobs with low AI exposure**Cement masons need little prior training and score 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/entry-level-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Jobs AI speeds up the most**For natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-speeds-up/) - [**AI and jobs in Malta**15 iGaming roles graded task by task.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/malta/) - [**Skills that keep work human**The skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skills/) - [**Jobs A to Z**Every job we publish, by first letter.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs/) - [**AI exposure by industry**Average scores for 22 occupation groups.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industries/) - [**Write a CV screening software can read**How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/cv-screening-guide/) - [**AI for businesses**The tasks to automate first in each team and industry.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/) - [**How we score AI exposure**The grading, the weights and every source.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/) Occupation data from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified by Aigentcy. O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wage, employment and projection data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. EU occupation names from ESCO, European Commission. AI usage signals from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY) and Microsoft Research (CC BY 4.0). [Methodology and sources](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/). Scores © Aigentcy. Quote them with a link to the page.