P Prentice
GA — VALDOSTA, GA

Pipefitter apprenticeships in Valdosta, GA

Valdosta, GA is a smaller U.S. metro. Here is what working as a pipefitter looks like locally.

Updated May 25, 2026

KEY FACTS — VALDOSTA, GA

Valdosta: ~6 of 80 (~8.1%) · market pressure 54/100 — Moderate pressure.

Pipefitter earning $100K+ annually in Valdosta
~6 of 80 (~8.1%) ±2

Confidence: medium. Annual labor earnings (W-2 wages + self-employment), not OEWS hourly-wage extrapolations.

Source: Census ACS 2024 5-year PUMS (state-rate projection onto metro OEWS employment).

OEWS six-figure baseline (pipefitter)
Insufficient data

Source: BLS OEWS.

Market pressure score (pipefitter, Valdosta)
54/100 — Moderate pressure

Confidence: low. Composite of projected annual openings, projected growth, and current $100K+ earnings rate. Not a direct vacancy count.

Source: Projections Central data; score computed by Prentice.

Bachelor’s+ in the Valdosta labor force
21K

Source: Census ACS 2022 5-year.

Competitive ratio ($100K+ earners / bachelor’s+)
2.8 per 10k

A framing, not a forecast. See methodology.

Numerator: ACS PUMS $100K+ annual earners.

Auto-compiled from Georgia editorial + Valdosta, GA labor data. Spot an error?

Valdosta, GA is one of Georgia's labor markets for pipefitters. This page collects what adults switching into a career as a pipefitter inside the Valdosta metro need first: how local pay compares to the state, what the available labor-market data says about six-figure work, and which statewide programs and licensing rules apply locally.

Valdosta, GA pipefitters earn a median of $46,990 (BLS OEWS Valdosta MSA, May 2024). For Georgia context, statewide pay runs from $19/hr at entry to $31/hr at the state median and $48/hr at the experienced end. Statewide headline: $64K avg salary. The Valdosta metro is a smaller U.S. MSA; local wages may run above or below the state median depending on sector mix.

Metro-level six-figure pipefitter counts for the Valdosta metro are not yet published; the estimate is suppressed or pending ingestion. ACS 2024 5-year PUMS estimates ~6 $100K+ annual earners (~8.1% of employed pipefitters, ACS PUMS WAGP+SEMP). Projections Central long-term pressure score: 54/100 (Moderate, low confidence). Bachelor's-plus in the metro labor force: 21K (ACS 2022 5-year). For statewide context: Georgia shows ~282 of 7.5K (~3.7%). Sources: BLS OEWS, Census ACS PUMS, Projections Central, Census ACS.

Statewide pipefitter programs and employer-sponsored paths are listed on the Georgia programs page; none are flagged as metro-exclusive. Metro program and association references are inherited from sourced state pages unless a metro-exclusive entity is explicitly sourced. Treat them as orientation, not a complete local inventory, and verify current intake details with the statewide source or sponsor before relying. Licensing is set at the state level: Georgia rules apply in the Valdosta metro unless a local authority says otherwise. Metro pages use state-level licensing and program context unless a city, county, or sponsor rule is explicitly sourced. Verify current licensing, local add-ons, and sponsor requirements with the official state or local authority before relying. Smaller MSAs like the Valdosta metro often source pipefitter apprentices from a 60-mile radius into the nearest larger urban center; check with the state programs page for the closest active intake.

UNION APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS

Union apprenticeship programs in Valdosta, GA

Verified pipefitter union locals with public-facing city, jurisdiction, training, and official-site details.

UA Local 52 HQ: Montgomery, AL

Plumbers & Steamfitters Local Union No. 52

Jurisdiction:Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Chambers + 18 more counties (AL/GA)

Training:Plumbers and Steamfitters UA Local 52 Apprenticeship Training Program (Montgomery, AL)

Official site →
UA Local 72 HQ: Atlanta, GA

UA Local Union 72 Plumbers, Pipefitters & HVACR Technicians

Jurisdiction:Atlanta and outlying areas of Georgia; Local 72 states it provides pipefitters throughout the state of Georgia.

Training:Mechanical Trades Institute - Local 72 Training Center (Atlanta, GA)

Official site →
UA Local 177 HQ: Brunswick, GA

Plumbers and Pipefitters UA Local 177

Jurisdiction:Local 177 covers 13 counties in the State of Georgia: Glynn, McIntosh, Camden, Wayne, Appling, Jeff Davis, Bacon, Pierce, Brantley, Ware, Charlton, Clinch, and Echols.

Training:UA Local 177 Training Facility (Brunswick, GA)

Official site →

Verified-source check recorded in the union dataset; this data snapshot does not carry per-local verification dates.

Street addresses, phone numbers, and emails stay out of the page source. Open the free directory for addresses & phone numbers .

PIPEFITTER PAY SNAPSHOT — VALDOSTA, GA

$46,990 (OEWS MSA-level median)

Source: BLS OEWS MSA cross-industry estimates. Where MSA-level data is suppressed or unpublished we fall back to the state median and label it explicitly.

Programs across Georgia

We list pipefitter apprenticeships, schools, and locals statewide.

See all pipefitter programs in Georgia →

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