Pipefitter Jobs in Mobile, AL
Lay out, fabricate, and install marine pipe systems and supports.
What pipefitters earn around Mobile
The median, range, and annual figures above are market data — Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics for Mobile, AL Metro Area, via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop. Cost of living here runs about 12% below the national average — your paycheck goes further. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities.
What a pipefitter does in Mobile
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 Mobile is $28.56 an hour, but local prices run at 87.797 against a national 100 — so it buys what $32.53 would nationally. That is the number worth comparing when a job means relocating or running a per-diem schedule.
Pipefitters in the Mobile market
Mobile County is one of the largest shipbuilding centers on the Gulf Coast — Austal USA builds Navy vessels on the Mobile River, Alabama Shipyard runs a major repair yard nearby, and the marine trade runs south through Chickasaw and Theodore down to the boatbuilding town of Bayou La Batre, where Metal Shark and Steiner build for the Coast Guard and the commercial fleet. It's home ground for AMS, whose base sits just across the bay in Loxley, and crews are working here now.
- Austal USA
- Alabama Shipyard
- World Marine of Alabama
- Metal Shark & Steiner Shipyard (Bayou La Batre)
- MMIF & Silver Ships (Theodore)
Named as public-record market activity — where marine work happens in this area, not a statement of AMS contracts.
- City population
- 185,097
- Median household income
- $51,090
- Average commute
- 23 min
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 87.797
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year · BEA Regional Price Parities. Figures are for Mobile city, Alabama, not the wider metro area.
Why Mobile needs pipefitters right now
What's changing in Mobile is scale. Austal USA has announced roughly $750 million of expansion and 2,000 projected jobs across submarine-module and large-steel-assembly work — announced figures, not current jobs, but they point where this market is heading: module construction. Modules are fit-up work. Every spool, flange, valve, and hanger gets laid out and set before a welder strikes an arc, and the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) and T-ATS programs already in the water keep fitters busy today while that buildout lands.
For a fitter weighing the market: Alabama's all-industries pipefitter median is $58,670 a year (BLS, May 2025), and that number excludes overtime. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities, which puts marine fitting ahead of most plant and commercial work in the state before the first OT hour. Mobile is one of AMS's active-crew markets, so the work is local and current — with travel and per-diem jobs on the table for fitters who want the road.
If you've fit spools from isometric drawings on a government hull, set flanges and hangers to marine tolerances, or worked fit-up ahead of pipe welders at a Gulf yard, that experience is exactly what this market is short of. Yard-qualified fitters who read isos and hold tolerance are the industry's hardest fill — boot camps make helpers, not hands. AMS pays $35–$40/hr for proven fitters and puts you to work without re-proving the basics.
Bring your experience to AMSPipefitter jobs in Mobile — FAQ
How much do pipefitters make in Mobile, AL?
In the Mobile, AL Metro Area, pipefitters earn a median of about $28.56 per hour — typically $18.35–$36.03 per hour (BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop). With local prices at 87.797 against a national 100, that median buys roughly what $32.53 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 Mobile?
Yes. AMS has crews working the Mobile market and hires pipefitters for shipbuilding and ship repair. Apply through our Employment / Job Application page and tell us your trade and experience.
What do I need to get hired as a pipefitter in Mobile?
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 Austal USA and similar facilities. Bring your certifications — apply and an AMS representative will go over the specifics.
What is the commute like for Mobile yard work?
Workers in Mobile city, Alabama report an average commute of about 23 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 Mobile?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.