Pipelayers in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Pipelayers pay in Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL at a median of $46,630 per year ($22.42/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $49,000, the metro estimate is 5% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 210 pipelayers are employed across the Cape Coral-Fort Myers MSA in SOC 47-2151.

The Cape Coral-Fort Myers pay distribution spans from $38,200 at the 10th percentile to $59,150 at the 90th, a 1.5× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $44,250 and the 75th at $49,820, so half of Cape Coral-Fort Myers-based pipelayers earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide FL estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.