Pipefitter Jobs in Charleston, SC
Lay out, fabricate, and install marine pipe systems and supports.
What pipefitters earn around Charleston
The median, range, and annual figures above are market data — Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics for Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area, via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop. Cost of living here runs right around the national average. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities.
What a pipefitter does in Charleston
Pipefitters lay out, fabricate, and install the pipe systems a ship runs on — cutting and threading, fitting spools, setting flanges, valves, and hangers, and prepping joints for the welders. It takes drawing literacy, precise measurement, and the flexibility to adapt to the diversification of marine and industrial projects. Pipefitters and pipe welders work the job side by side.
A pipefitter's median around Charleston is $27.58 an hour, but local prices run at 99.105 against a national 100 — so it buys what $27.83 would nationally. That is the number worth comparing when a job means relocating or running a per-diem schedule.
Pipefitters in the Charleston market
Charleston is one of the busiest ship-repair harbors on the East Coast, anchored by Detyens Shipyards at the former Charleston Naval Shipyard on the Cooper River — a major commercial and government repair yard. It's a Southeast market AMS is hiring welders and fitters for right now.
- Detyens Shipyards
Named as public-record market activity — where marine work happens in this area, not a statement of AMS contracts.
- City population
- 152,014
- Median household income
- $90,038
- Average commute
- 24 min
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 99.105
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year · BEA Regional Price Parities. Figures are for Charleston city, South Carolina, not the wider metro area.
Why Charleston needs pipefitters right now
Repair pipefitting is measured off the ship, and no two ships measure the same. In a working repair harbor, fitters spend their days templating replacement runs from existing systems, fabricating spools that have to match what's already installed, and landing flanges, valves, and hangers around structure and machinery that can't move. Government repair work layers on inspection: fit-up, alignment, and supports all get checked before a welder touches the joint. It's the kind of fitting that builds a reputation — and in a market like Charleston, reputation is what gets you called back.
AMS is hiring pipefitters in Charleston now at $35–$40 an hour plus overtime opportunities. Worth knowing before you commit to any yard trade: shipbuilding and repair recorded 4.8 recordable injuries per 100 full-time workers in 2024 — this is genuinely hazardous work, and treating safety as a production skill is part of being worth the rate. Fitters who work clean and safe protect the schedule as much as the crew. Not from the area? Plenty of AMS tradespeople work away from home base on travel and per diem.
If you've pulled templates in a bilge, matched spools to corroded runs, or landed valve stacks during an availability with the clock running, you've already done Charleston's job. Fitters from new construction, industrial plants, or shutdown turnarounds carry the same core skills — layout, precise measurement, flange and hanger discipline. Experienced marine pipefitters are among the industry's hardest fills, which is exactly why AMS is hiring them in Charleston at $35–$40 an hour rather than trying to train the skill from scratch.
Bring your experience to AMSPipefitter jobs in Charleston — FAQ
How much do pipefitters make in Charleston, SC?
In the Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area, pipefitters earn a median of about $27.58 per hour — typically $18.80–$36.00 per hour (BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop). With local prices at 99.105 against a national 100, that median buys roughly what $27.83 an hour would nationally. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities; the rate for a specific role is discussed when you apply.
Does AMS hire pipefitters in Charleston?
AMS recruits pipefitters across the Gulf Coast, including the Charleston market, for marine fabrication and repair work. Apply and tell us your trade, your experience, and whether you can travel.
What do I need to get hired as a pipefitter in Charleston?
For pipefitters, AMS looks first at iso & spool drawings and layout & fit-up. Every role also requires passing a shipyard safety orientation and a drug screen, and a TWIC card is usually needed for yard access at Detyens Shipyards and similar facilities. Bring your certifications — apply and an AMS representative will go over the specifics.
What is the commute like for Charleston yard work?
Workers in Charleston city, South Carolina report an average commute of about 24 minutes (U.S. Census ACS). Yard start times are early, so most crews plan the drive around shift change rather than rush hour. If you would rather travel to the work than commute to it, AMS runs per-diem assignments across the Gulf Coast.
Ready to work as a pipefitter in Charleston?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.