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Plumber's Assistants

ANZSCO ID 821114

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,500
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
66%
Female Share
4%
Average age
29
About this data

Summary

Plumber's Assistants perform routine tasks in fabricating, laying, installing and maintaining pipes, fixtures, water meters and regulators.

Tasks

  • Loading and unloading plumbing fixtures and materials, tools and equipment and transporting them around sites.

  • Assisting with assembling and installing piping, valves and fittings.

  • Assisting with installing fixtures such as toilets, wash basins and sprinkler systems.

Characteristics

Job Type
Labourers
Skill Level
Entry level
ANZSCO Occupation group
8211 Building and Plumbing Labourers
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
Physical Demand
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Building and Plumbing Labourers, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 66% of people employed as Plumber's Assistants work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.

Industries

Main industries

1
Construction
83.8%
2
Public Administration and Safety
2.7%
3
Wholesale Trade
2.3%
4
Manufacturing
2.1%
5
Other industries
4.5%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

31.7% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

24.2% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

23.9% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.1% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

8.2% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

3.2% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.6% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Plumber's Assistants All Jobs Average
NSW 31.7 31.6
VIC 24.2 25.6
QLD 23.9 20.0
SA 6.1 7.0
WA 8.2 10.8
TAS 3.2 2.0
NT 1.6 1.0
ACT 1.1 1.9


  • Around 53% of Plumber's Assistants live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Queensland has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
29
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
4%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Plumber's Assistants is 29 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 4% of the workforce. This is 44 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Plumber's Assistants All Jobs Average
15-19 15.7 5.0
20-24 20.9 9.3
25-34 25.1 22.9
35-44 14.8 22.0
45-54 12.6 21.6
55-59 5.7 9.0
60-64 3.6 6.0
65 and Over 1.6 4.2
Median Age 29 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Plumber's Assistant. Although some workers have a certificate III in a related area like plumbing.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Construction, Plumbing and Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Plumber's Assistants All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 0.0 10.1
Bachelor degree 2.3 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 2.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 28.9 21.1
Year 12 26.6 18.1
Year 11 9.3 4.8
Year 10 and below 30.1 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Building and Plumbing Labourers who are reliable, have a strong work ethic and are physically fit.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 43%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 37%

    Repairing

    Fixing machines or systems.

  • 34%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 34%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 32%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 32%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 30%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 30%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 30%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 29%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 29%

    Equipment selection

    Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

  • 29%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 29%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 29%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 27%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 27%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 25%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 25%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

  • 20%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 18%

    Management of material resources

    Providing the right equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do work.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 66%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 63%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 58%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 50%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 44%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 43%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 39%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 38%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 37%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 36%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 33%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 32%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 30%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 27%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 26%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 25%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 24%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 21%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 17%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 16%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 54%

    Extent flexibility

    Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • 48%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 46%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 46%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 45%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 45%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 43%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 43%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 43%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 43%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 41%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 41%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 41%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 39%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 39%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 37%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 36%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 36%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 34%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 32%

    Depth perception

    Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 81%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 68%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 68%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 68%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 65%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 65%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 63%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 60%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 60%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 58%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 58%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 54%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 52%

    Working with mechanical equipment

    Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.

  • 52%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 51%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 50%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 49%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 49%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 45%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 40%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 33%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 24%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 19%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 62%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 52%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 43%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 36%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 33%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 24%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 93%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 90%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 89%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 87%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

  • 85%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 84%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 83%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 82%

    Bending or twisting your body

    Spend time bending or twisting your body.

  • 80%

    Cramped work space

    Work in an awkward position or in cramped work spaces.

  • 78%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 77%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 76%

    Kneeling, crouching, stooping, or crawling

    Spend time kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling.

  • 76%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 75%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

  • 75%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 74%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 72%

    Indoors, not heat controlled

    Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).

  • 72%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 71%

    Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings

    Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.

  • 71%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-3015.00 - Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters.

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