Pipelayers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.
Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$49,000
United States, 2025
Employment
33,050
United States, 2025
Typical education
Less than a High School Diploma
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 47-2151.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Grade or level trench bases, using tamping machines or hand tools.
- Dig trenches to desired or required depths, by hand or using trenching tools.
- Cut pipes to required lengths.
- Install or use instruments such as lasers, grade rods, or transit levels.
- 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.
- Check slopes for conformance to requirements, using levels or lasers.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$37,730
25th percentile
$43,980
75th percentile
$61,400
90th percentile
$80,170
Most important skills
- Operation and Control3.1
- Speaking3.0
- Quality Control Analysis3.0
- Operations Monitoring3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Time Management2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Repairing2.8
- Troubleshooting2.8
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 7 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
7
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $57,430
Compare with PipelayersSupplemental
National median $74,340
Compare with PipelayersSupplemental
National median $65,380
Compare with PipelayersSupplemental
National median $95,320
Compare with PipelayersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | $93,550 | 90 | 2025 |
| Green Bay, WI | $91,520 | 40 | 2025 |
| South Bend, IN | $90,880 | 40 | 2025 |
| Madison, WI | $86,870 | 50 | 2025 |
| WI | $86,870 | 350 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $84,830 | 610 | 2025 |
| WA | $82,450 | 1,050 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $82,020 | 320 | 2025 |
| MN | $81,980 | 510 | 2025 |
| Youngstown, OH | $81,250 | 30 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $80,370 | 390 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $80,260 | 500 | 2025 |
| Cleveland, OH | $79,840 | 100 | 2025 |
| NJ | $78,830 | 400 | 2025 |
| Kennewick, WA | $77,220 | 90 | 2025 |
| Toledo, OH | $76,870 | 30 | 2025 |
| Buffalo, NY | $76,450 | 40 | 2025 |
| Spokane, WA | $76,390 | 80 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $76,190 | 250 | 2025 |
| CA | $76,180 | 1,420 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Pipelayers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.