Pipelayers
What Pipelayers Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Building and Constructionimportance 3.7/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.0/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.0/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.0/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.9/5
- Production and Processingimportance 2.8/5
- English Languageimportance 2.8/5
- Designimportance 2.8/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.9/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
- Contact With Others4.5/5
- Spend Time Standing4.4/5
- Frequency of Decision Making4.4/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Millwrights94% skill match
- Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers93% skill match
- Helpers--Electricians92% skill match
- Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles91% skill match
- Locksmiths and Safe Repairers91% skill match
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers90% skill match
- Mechanical Door Repairers90% skill match
- Rail Car Repairers90% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.1/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
- Installationimportance 2.8/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 2.8/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Cooperation
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where pipelayers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Jacksonville, NC5.94× national avg
- 2Goldsboro, NC5.42× national avg
- 3Wildwood-The Villages, FL5.22× national avg
- 4Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC4.61× national avg
- 5Rapid City, SD4.56× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and SteamfittersAdvancement
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical DoorCareer Change
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems AssemblersCareer Change
- MillwrightsCareer Change