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Construction & Extraction

Pipelayers

SOC 47-2151

Lay the underground pipe for water, sewer, and gas lines.

The job
Median pay
$49k
$44k to $61k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Declining
-3.1% projected
Openings a year
2k
BLS projection
Typical education
No formal credential
Our model
AI displacement risk
Low
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
9/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
11th pct
More exposed than 11% of occupations · modeled estimate · 9th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
47/100

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Weigh it against Scaffolding ErectorsPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostWisconsin leads at $87k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Pipelayers and explore its neighbours See open jobsPipelayers roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Pipelayers, who lean most on active listening Real pay & reviewsWhat Pipelayers say they actually earn

Key skills

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

StateJobsPer 1,000vs nationalMedian pay
Texas5,0100.41.7×$46k
Florida4,0500.41.9×$47k
North Carolina3,8300.83.6×$47k
Georgia1,8900.41.8×$46k
California1,4200.10.4×$76k
Ohio1,1600.21.0×$72k
Virginia1,0800.31.2×$49k
Washington1,0500.31.4×$82k
Tennessee8100.21.2×$46k
Indiana8000.21.2×$74k
All 51 states
StateJobsPer 1,000vs nationalMedian pay
Colorado7900.31.3×$60k
Massachusetts6840.20.9×$73k~
South Carolina6700.31.4×$45k
Maryland6500.21.1×$56k
Oregon6200.31.5×$64k
Missouri5960.21.0×$51k~
Pennsylvania5900.10.5×$42k
Louisiana5740.31.4×$44k~
Nebraska5700.62.6×$44k
Oklahoma5300.31.5×$45k
Utah5300.31.4×$52k
Minnesota5100.20.8×$82k
Arizona4800.10.7×$63k
Alabama4600.21.0×$45k
Nevada4500.31.4×$64k
Arkansas4300.31.6×$38k
New Jersey4000.10.4×$79k
Wisconsin3500.10.6×$87k
Mississippi3200.31.3×$42k
South Dakota3000.73.1×$51k
Idaho2800.31.5×$59k
Illinois2800.00.2×$50k
Iowa2800.20.8×$54k
Connecticut2630.20.7×$59k~
New York2500.00.1×$70k
Kansas2400.20.8×$47k
New Hampshire2100.31.4×$54k
New Mexico1900.21.0×$46k
Michigan1800.00.2×$62k
West Virginia1800.31.2×$40k
North Dakota1700.41.9×$48k
Hawaii1520.21.1×$68k~
Wyoming1310.52.2×$49k~
Alaska1120.31.6×$62k~
Washington DC1100.20.7×$55k
Maine1100.20.8×$51k
Delaware960.20.9×$58k~
Rhode Island920.20.9×$52k~
Montana800.20.7×$48k
Vermont740.21.1×$49k~
Kentucky600.00.1×$59k

Top metro areas

  1. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX1,300 jobs · $45k median
  2. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX1,240 jobs · $47k median
  3. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC1,170 jobs · $49k median
  4. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA1,000 jobs · $48k median
  5. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX740 jobs · $48k median
  6. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL700 jobs · $48k median
  7. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL690 jobs · $47k median
  8. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV660 jobs · $55k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.