Pipelayers
Architecture and ConstructionO*NET 47-2151.00United States
Lay pipe for storm or sanitation sewers, drains, and water mains. Perform any combination of the following tasks: grade trenches or culverts, position pipe, or seal joints.
- Median annual earnings
- $49,334
- Projected change
- +0.7%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 37.7K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
98.3% of the workforce
Growing to 37.95K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What pipelayers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Grade or level trench bases, using tamping machines or hand tools.
- Cut pipes to required lengths.
- Dig trenches to desired or required depths, by hand or using trenching tools.
- Install or use instruments such as lasers, grade rods, or transit levels.
- Check slopes for conformance to requirements, using levels or lasers.
- Cover pipes with earth or other materials.
- Connect pipe pieces and seal joints, using welding equipment, cement, or glue.
- Install or repair sanitary or stormwater sewer structures or pipe systems.
- Align and position pipes to prepare them for welding or sealing.
- Lay out pipe routes, following written instructions or blueprints and coordinating layouts with supervisors.
- Tap and drill holes into pipes to introduce auxiliary lines or devices.
- Operate mechanized equipment, such as pickup trucks, rollers, tandem dump trucks, front-end loaders, or backhoes.
- Train or supervise others in laying pipe.
- Locate existing pipes needing repair or replacement, using magnetic or radio indicators.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $36,743
- 25th percentile
- $43,643
- 50th percentile
- $49,334
- 75th percentile
- $62,171
- 90th percentile
- $85,259
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $49,334 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+0.7%average or slower
202537,696 jobs
2035 projected37,947 jobs
251 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 98.3%
- Certificate
- 1.7%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Pipe Layers1,299 postings
- 02Pipelayers585 postings
- 03Pipelayers/Laborers276 postings
- 04Underground Utility Locators129 postings
- 05Underground Utility Foremen35 postings
- 06Utility Construction Laborers23 postings
- 07Excavation Laborers20 postings
- 08Equipment Operators/Laborers15 postings
- 09Stormwater Technicians12 postings
- 10Skilled Laborers11 postings
- 11Water/Wastewater Operators9 postings
- 12Landscape Technicians/Laborers8 postings
- 13Pipefitter Helpers8 postings
- 14Utility Locate Technicians8 postings
- 15Construction Technicians6 postings
- 16Excavator Operators5 postings
- 17Drivers/Laborers4 postings
- 18Pipefitter Foremen4 postings
- 19Pipefitters4 postings
- 20Underground Electricians4 postings
Top employers
- 01Aerotek60 postings
- 02Garney Construction37 postings
- 03Allan Myers22 postings
- 04Phillips20 postings
- 05Flatiron Construction18 postings
- 06Suncore Corporation16 postings
- 07Brasfield & Gorrie15 postings
- 08MasTec15 postings
- 09Allan A Myers14 postings
- 10Branch Civil14 postings
- 11Inframark14 postings
- 12Sterling Construction Company14 postings
- 13T2 Contracting14 postings
- 14CRH plc13 postings
- 15Clyde Companies13 postings
- 16Ralph L Wadsworth Construction Company13 postings
- 17Sundt Construction13 postings
- 18Gillmann Services12 postings
- 19Knife River12 postings
- 20Moss Utilities12 postings
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