All careers › Pipelayers
Pipelayer: pay, job outlook and how to become one
- $37,730lowest 10% earn less
- $43,98025th percentile
- $49,000median
- $61,40075th percentile
- $80,170top 10% earn more
Pipelayers earned a median of $49,000 a year, a little under the median for all occupations[1][2]. BLS lists no formal education requirement and expects short-term on-the-job training[3].
- Job growth, 2025–35
- -3.1%[5]
- Openings per year
- 2,100[6]
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential[3]
How much do pipelayers make?
The median pay for Pipelayers was $49,000 a year, or $23.56 an hour, in May 2025[1]. Half of the workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average (mean) was $54,700 a year, or $26.30 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations in the US was $50,980 a year[2].
The range is wide. A percentile wage is a boundary in the pay list, and BLS publishes these boundaries instead of a starting salary[8]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $37,730 a year[4].
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th[4][9] | $37,730 | $18.14 |
| 25th[4][9] | $43,980 | $21.15 |
| Median[1] | $49,000 | $23.56 |
| 75th[4][9] | $61,400 | $29.52 |
| 90th[4][9] | $80,170 | $38.55 |
These figures cover people paid a wage or salary. They leave out the self-employed and owners of unincorporated firms, and they do not include nonproduction bonuses or the cost of benefits such as health insurance[10]. About 33,050 people held these wage and salary jobs in May 2025[11].
Pay by state and city
BLS published a median for 43 states and the District of Columbia[12]. Wisconsin came first at $86,870, followed by Washington at $82,450 and Minnesota at $81,980[12]. Arkansas was last on the list at $37,650[12].
Texas had the most jobs at 5,010, then Florida at 4,050 and North Carolina at 3,830[13]. Pay in those three states was lower than in the top-paying ones. Texas was at $45,620, Florida at $47,260 and North Carolina at $47,220[12].
Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs[14], the highest medians were in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at $84,830, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI at $82,020 and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $80,370[14]. The metro areas with the most jobs were Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX at 1,300, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX at 1,240 and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC at 1,170[15].
Show median pay in 43 states and DC
| State | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin[12] | $86,870 | 350 |
| Washington | $82,450 | 1,050 |
| Minnesota | $81,980 | 510 |
| New Jersey | $78,830 | 400 |
| California | $76,180 | 1,420 |
| Indiana | $73,580 | 800 |
| Massachusetts | $72,770 | n/a |
| Ohio | $71,560 | 1,160 |
| New York | $70,370 | 250 |
| Oregon | $64,230 | 620 |
| Nevada | $63,570 | 450 |
| Arizona | $62,740 | 480 |
| Michigan | $61,560 | 180 |
| Colorado | $59,740 | 790 |
| Kentucky | $58,820 | 60 |
| Idaho | $58,650 | 280 |
| Delaware | $58,240 | n/a |
| Maryland | $55,640 | 650 |
| District of Columbia | $55,470 | 110 |
| Iowa | $53,990 | 280 |
| New Hampshire | $53,870 | 210 |
| Utah | $52,000 | 530 |
| Maine | $50,980 | 110 |
| South Dakota | $50,650 | 300 |
| Illinois | $49,590 | 280 |
| Virginia | $48,700 | 1,080 |
| Montana | $48,080 | 80 |
| North Dakota | $47,810 | 170 |
| Kansas | $47,390 | 240 |
| Florida | $47,260 | 4,050 |
| North Carolina | $47,220 | 3,830 |
| Georgia | $46,220 | 1,890 |
| Tennessee | $46,020 | 810 |
| Texas | $45,620 | 5,010 |
| New Mexico | $45,550 | 190 |
| Oklahoma | $45,190 | 530 |
| South Carolina | $45,180 | 670 |
| Alabama | $44,550 | 460 |
| Nebraska | $44,470 | 570 |
| Louisiana | $44,340 | n/a |
| Mississippi | $41,900 | 320 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,600 | 590 |
| West Virginia | $40,440 | 180 |
| Arkansas | $37,650 | 430 |
How to become a pipelayer
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry education for Pipelayers. Related work experience is not needed, and the typical training is short-term on-the-job training[3].
- First: you can start without a degree or diploma[3].
- Next: learn the work on the job. BLS expects short-term training[3].
In an ONET survey of 14 workers in this occupation, 65% said less than a high school diploma is required and 33% said a high school diploma or equivalent[16]. That is a very small survey, so read it as a snapshot. ONET places the job in a group where some occupations need little or no previous experience and others need several months to a year[17].
What pipelayers do
Pipelayers lay pipe for storm sewers, sanitary sewers, drains and water mains. The work can include grading trenches or culverts, positioning pipe and sealing joints[18]. Typical tasks include:
- Grading or leveling the base of a trench with tamping machines or hand tools[19].
- Digging trenches to the needed depth by hand or with trenching tools[19].
- Cutting pipe to length[19].
- Setting up and using tools such as lasers, grade rods and transit levels to check slopes[19].
- Aligning pipes, then joining them and sealing the joints by welding or with cement or glue[19].
- Covering pipe with earth or other material[19].
- Installing or repairing sewer structures and pipe systems[19].
- Marking out pipe routes from written instructions or blueprints[19].
Workers report the job titles pipelayer and tailman[20].
Job outlook
BLS projects employment of Pipelayers to decline 3.1% from 2025 to 2035[5]. That is from about 33,200 to 32,200 jobs, a loss of 1,000[5]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[21]. The projection counts include self-employed workers[5].
Even so, BLS expects about 2,100 openings a year on average[6]. Openings count jobs left by people who retire or switch occupations, as well as new jobs[6]. Each year, 1.9% of workers leave the labor force and 4.7% move to a different occupation[22].
Is it a good fit?
The job has no formal education requirement and short-term on-the-job training[3]. Median pay sits close to the all-occupations median[1][2], and the 90th percentile was $80,170 a year[4]. Employment is projected to shrink slightly, though openings from retirements and job changes continue[5][6]. Pay varies a great deal by state, from $86,870 in Wisconsin to $37,650 in Arkansas[12]. The facts here do not cover licenses, schedules or working conditions.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a pipelayer make an hour?
- The median was $23.56 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $26.30 an hour[1][7]. The 10th percentile was $18.14 and the 90th was $38.55 an hour[9].
- What education do you need to be a pipelayer?
- BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry education, with short-term on-the-job training[3].
- Is pipelaying in demand?
- BLS projects a 3.1% decline from 2025 to 2035, while all occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[5][21]. It still expects about 2,100 openings a year[6].
- What is the highest paying state for pipelayers?
- Wisconsin, at a median of $86,870, followed by Washington at $82,450 and Minnesota at $81,980[12].
Facts and sources
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Pipelayers in the US was $49,000 per year and $23.56 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Pipelayers: education needed for entry: No formal educational credential; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Pipelayers: 10th percentile $37,730, 25th percentile $43,980, 75th percentile $61,400, 90th percentile $80,170. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: employment of Pipelayers is projected to decline 3.1% from 2025 to 2035, from about 33,200 to 32,200 jobs (a change of -1,000). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections: about 2,100 openings for Pipelayers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Pipelayers was $54,700 per year and $26.30 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Pipelayers: 10th percentile $18.14, 25th percentile $21.15, 75th percentile $29.52, 90th percentile $38.55. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 33,050 people were employed as Pipelayers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage for Pipelayers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Pipelayers jobs: Texas 5,010; Florida 4,050; North Carolina 3,830; Georgia 1,890; California 1,420. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Pipelayers (areas with at least 100 jobs): Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $84,830; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $82,020; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $80,370; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $80,260; Cleveland, OH $79,840; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $76,190; Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN $74,180; Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $73,960. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Pipelayers jobs: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 1,300 (median $45,150); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,240 (median $46,680); Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 1,170 (median $48,980); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,000 (median $47,560); Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 740 (median $48,440); Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 700 (median $47,950). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- O*NET 47-2151.00 survey of workers (14 respondents), education level they say is required: Less than a High School Diploma 65%, High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 33% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
- O*NET 47-2151.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET description of Pipelayers. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET task list for Pipelayers. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET 47-2151.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Pipelayer, Tailman. O*NET OnLine
- BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Pipelayers: 1.9% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.7% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
- Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.