Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
No formal educational credential
None
Short-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Pipelayers install and work with piping systems, offering a hands-on career path for people who enjoy physical, mechanical, and detail-oriented work. Nationally, the occupation has a median annual salary of $48,710 and employment of about 34,000. While projected employment growth is -4.1%, there are still about 2,000 annual openings, indicating ongoing replacement and hiring needs. This role can be accessible for individuals without a formal educational credential, making it a potential option for those interested in entering the workforce quickly. Strong mechanical ability, physical strength and stamina, fine motor skills, and attention to detail are important, along with skills in science and mathematics. Leadership, creativity and innovation, interpersonal skills, and customer service also play a role in success. For those exploring related paths, similar occupations include pile driver operators, structural iron and steel workers, helpers in installation, maintenance, and repair, helpers–carpenters, and packaging and filling machine operators and tenders.
Pipelayers earn a national median annual salary of $48,710, but pay can vary substantially by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, Washington and California stand out with median salaries of $82,450 and $76,180, respectively, while New York offers $70,370. Colorado’s median salary is $59,740, and Virginia’s is close to the national level at $48,700. At the metro level, some areas offer even higher pay. The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro shows a median salary of $84,830, and pipelayers in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro earn a median of $80,370. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro is similar at $80,260. Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO reports $63,410, and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area reports $55,320. These figures suggest that workers willing to consider different regions may see meaningful differences in earning potential.
Pipelayers have national employment of about 34,000 workers, with a projected employment growth rate of -4.1%. Despite the negative growth projection, the occupation still has an estimated 2,000 annual openings. This combination indicates that while total employment is expected to decline, there will continue to be regular hiring needs, likely due to turnover, retirements, and other workforce changes. The consistent appearance of the same -4.1% growth rate across multiple states and metro areas in the data suggests that this projected decline is broadly distributed rather than limited to a single region. For individuals considering this career, the presence of ongoing openings can be an important factor, especially for those who value a hands-on occupation that does not require a formal educational credential. People exploring alternative paths may also look at related roles such as pile driver operators, structural iron and steel workers, or various helper positions in installation, maintenance, repair, and carpentry.
Location makes a significant difference in both pay and measured opportunity for pipelayers. At the state level, California has a relatively high opportunity score of 67.38, with a median salary of $76,180 and employment of 1,420. New York’s opportunity score is 65.78, with a $70,370 median salary but a smaller employment base of 250. Washington combines a high median salary of $82,450 with employment of 1,050 and an opportunity score of 56.29. Colorado and Virginia also appear among the top states, with opportunity scores of 56.97 and 54.96 and employment around 790 and 1,080, respectively. At the metro level, the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area leads with an opportunity score of 77.27 and a median salary of $80,370. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA also show high salaries around or above $80,000. Denver and the Washington, DC-area metro offer moderate-to-strong salaries and opportunity scores, giving jobseekers several geographic options to compare.
Pipelayers typically enter the occupation with no formal educational credential, which can make this career accessible to individuals who want to start working without completing a degree program. Even without formal education requirements, the role draws on a well-rounded skill set. Mechanical skills, physical strength and stamina, and fine motor skills are central, reflecting the physical and technical nature of the work. Science and mathematics skills are also important, along with being detail oriented, which supports accuracy and quality. Leadership and creativity and innovation suggest that some roles may involve guiding others or finding new ways to approach tasks. Interpersonal and customer service skills indicate that working effectively with others and interacting with clients or team members can be part of the job experience. For those who prefer to learn by doing and build capabilities on the job rather than through traditional classroom pathways, this combination of low formal barriers and diverse skill use can be appealing.
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