Pipefitter Jobs in Tampa, FL
Lay out, fabricate, and install marine pipe systems and supports.
What pipefitters earn around Tampa
The median, range, and annual figures above are market data — Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 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 Tampa
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 Tampa is $25.00 an hour, but local prices run at 99.856 against a national 100 — so it buys what $25.04 would nationally. That is the number worth comparing when a job means relocating or running a per-diem schedule.
Pipefitters in the Tampa market
Tampa sits on Port Tampa Bay, one of the largest ports in Florida, with a working ship-repair cluster along the channel — dry docks and topside repair yards that keep the commercial and government fleet running. It's a Gulf ship-repair market AMS is hiring welders and fitters for right now.
- Tampa Ship
- International Ship Repair & Marine Services
Named as public-record market activity — where marine work happens in this area, not a statement of AMS contracts.
- City population
- 393,389
- Median household income
- $71,302
- Average commute
- 25 min
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 99.856
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year · BEA Regional Price Parities. Figures are for Tampa city, Florida, not the wider metro area.
Why Tampa needs pipefitters right now
Repair yards live on rip-out and refit, and that's pipefitter work before it's ever welder work. Systems that failed survey come out; someone has to template replacement runs off the existing ship, fabricate spools to match, and land flanges, valves, and hangers in spaces the original builder had open and you don't. Tampa's repair and conversion work generates exactly that kind of fitting — measured off the vessel, not off a clean drawing set — and every job that docks needs fitters on it before the schedule can move.
On pay: Florida's median for pipefitters and steamfitters across all industries is $52,910 a year (BLS, May 2025) — about $25 an hour, before overtime is counted. AMS hires pipefitters in Tampa at $35–$40 an hour plus overtime opportunities, and it's a hiring market right now. Cost of living in Tampa runs higher than the small Gulf yard towns, which makes the hourly rate matter more, not less. And if Tampa isn't home, working on the road is normal at AMS — plenty of fitters run this trade on travel and per diem.
If you've templated a replacement spool off a corroded run, pulled measurements in a flooded-out machinery space, or landed a valve where the drawing said one thing and the ship said another, you've done the exact work Tampa repair jobs demand. New-construction fitters translate too — layout, fit-up, and flange discipline don't change. Experienced marine pipefitters are among the hardest fills in shipbuilding, which is why AMS pays $35–$40 an hour for proven hands instead of running you back through entry level.
Bring your experience to AMSPipefitter jobs in Tampa — FAQ
How much do pipefitters make in Tampa, FL?
In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Metro Area, pipefitters earn a median of about $25.00 per hour — typically $20.00–$32.13 per hour (BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop). With local prices at 99.856 against a national 100, that median buys roughly what $25.04 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 Tampa?
AMS recruits pipefitters across the Gulf Coast, including the Tampa 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 Tampa?
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 Tampa Ship and similar facilities. Bring your certifications — apply and an AMS representative will go over the specifics.
What is the commute like for Tampa yard work?
Workers in Tampa city, Florida report an average commute of about 25 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 Tampa?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.