Skilled Trades

Plumber

Installs and repairs piping and fixtures in a physical, AI-resilient trade.

AI displacement risk 11% Low

Average salary $60,000

Salary trend ↗ Rising

Why this risk score

Fitting pipes, clearing blockages, and repairing fixtures happens in physical, unpredictable environments. AI can help with scheduling and diagnostics but cannot perform the work.

Core tasks

Pipe installation
Leak detection
Drain clearing
Fixture repair
Water heater service
Permit paperwork

Outlook

Aging infrastructure and new construction sustain strong demand. AI streamlines admin, leaving the hands-on work untouched.

Skills to build now

Specialist Skills Advanced

Domain Expertise

Deep knowledge of a specific field or industry. Experts who can judge whether AI output is correct keep rising in value.

Market value High ~500h to learn

Core Skills Intermediate

Critical Thinking & Judgment

The ability to question AI output, spot errors, and decide. As AI does more, human judgment becomes the scarce asset.

Market value High ~150h to learn

Core Skills Beginner

Communication

Trust building, negotiation, and consensus — uniquely human. The more AI advances, the more its relative value grows.

Market value Medium ~100h to learn

Recommended AI tools for this job

General AI Chat Beginner

ChatGPT

OpenAI's conversational AI. A versatile first pick for writing, summarizing, ideation, and analysis.

Free / from $20/mo Free plan

Docs & Productivity Beginner

Notion AI

Writes, summarizes, and organizes notes inside Notion. Information management and writing in one place.

From $10/mo Paid only

Automation & RPA Intermediate

Power Automate

Microsoft's RPA and workflow tool for automating routine work. Directly targets manual back-office tasks.

Paid (Microsoft 365) Paid only

Frequently asked questions

Will AI replace Plumbers?

Unlikely — the role is relatively resilient to automation. Fitting pipes, clearing blockages, and repairing fixtures happens in physical, unpredictable environments. AI can help with scheduling and diagnostics but cannot perform the work.