Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 47-2151

Pipelayers

Median pay sits 33% below the mid peer in Construction and Extraction Occupations (neighbors include Terrazzo Workers and Finishers, Brickmasons and Blockmasons, Structural Iron and Steel Workers, Electricians).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Pipelayers: Terrazzo Workers and Finishers ($76K) , Brickmasons and Blockmasons ($62K) , Structural Iron and Steel Workers ($63K) , Electricians ($63K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Pipelayers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-2151 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Grade or level trench bases, using tamping machines or hand tools
  2. 2. Dig trenches to desired or required depths, by hand or using trenching tools
  3. 3. Cut pipes to required lengths
  4. 4. Install or use instruments such as lasers, grade rods, or transit levels
  5. 5. Cover pipes with earth or other materials
  6. 6. Connect pipe pieces and seal joints, using welding equipment, cement, or glue
  7. 7. Install or repair sanitary or stormwater sewer structures or pipe systems
  8. 8. Check slopes for conformance to requirements, using levels or lasers
  9. 9. Align and position pipes to prepare them for welding or sealing
  10. 10. Lay out pipe routes, following written instructions or blueprints and coordinating layouts with supervisors
  11. 11. Tap and drill holes into pipes to introduce auxiliary lines or devices
  12. 12. Operate mechanized equipment, such as pickup trucks, rollers, tandem dump trucks, front-end loaders, or backhoes

Pipelayers: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-2151 - lead skill Operation and Control at 3.1 ; lead knowledge Building and Construction. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 3.1
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.0
  3. 3. Speaking 3.0
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.0
  5. 5. Coordination 3.0
  6. 6. Operations Monitoring 3.0
  7. 7. Quality Control Analysis 3.0
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Building and Construction 3.7
  2. 2. Public Safety and Security 3.0
  3. 3. Engineering and Technology 3.0
  4. 4. Mechanical 3.0
  5. 5. Administration and Management 2.9
  6. 6. Production and Processing 2.8
Pay vs Construction and Extraction Occupations peers
-33%
vs mid peer median $73,300
This role $49,000/yr
$49K
National median
↓ -4%
Growth 2024-2034
2,400
Annual openings
33,050
Estimated US jobs
Terrazzo Workers and Finishers
Highest-pay peer · $76K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Pipelayers

1. California $76,180
2. Ohio $71,560
3. New York $70,370
4. Wisconsin $86,870
5. New Jersey $78,830
6. Minnesota $81,980
7. Washington $82,450
8. Indiana $73,580
9. Massachusetts $72,770
10. Oregon $64,230

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Terrazzo Workers and Finishers $76,170
  2. 2. Structural Iron and Steel Workers $62,780
  3. 3. Electricians $63,190
  4. 4. Brickmasons and Blockmasons $62,120
  5. 5. Tapers $68,270
  6. 6. Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas $67,890

Among Construction and Extraction Occupations peers on this card, Pipelayers sits 33% below the mid peer median ($73,300). Its own median is $49,000.

Employment Projections expect -4% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,400 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: California at $76,180. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Terrazzo Workers and Finishers at $76,170. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Pipelayers pay-rank #48 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

On the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table (60 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Pipelayers lands at #48, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 47-2151 · national median $49,000 · lower third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#48/60). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Pipelayers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-2151

California · top state for Pipelayers

$76K published median

Ohio · #2 state pay

$72K · behind California

Terrazzo Workers and Finishers

Highest-pay peer vs Pipelayers · $76K

Brickmasons and Blockmasons

Lower-pay peer beside Pipelayers · $62K

Compare Pipelayers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Pipelayers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Pipelayers

Against another occupation

Terrazzo Workers and Finishers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Pipelayers land on the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table? ▼
Pipelayers is pay-rank #48 of 60 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall ($49K), Rock Splitters, Quarry ($49K), Painters, Construction and Maintenance ($49K), Hazardous Materials Removal Workers ($49K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do pipelayers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Pipelayers. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for pipelayers? ▼
For SOC 47-2151, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (3.1), Active Listening (3.0), Speaking (3.0), Critical Thinking (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Building and Construction, Public Safety and Security, Engineering and Technology. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Pipelayers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $49,000 as the national median for Pipelayers. The published 10th-90th range is $37,730 to $80,170. Beside Terrazzo Workers and Finishers ($76,170), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Pipelayers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Pipelayers is -4%. Projected annual openings: about 2,400. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Pipelayers? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Pipelayers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Pipelayers? ▼
California ($76,180), Ohio ($71,560), New York ($70,370) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Pipelayers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-2151. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Pipelayers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics