Is pipelayers a good career?
It scores 9/100 and ranks #739 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.
Advantages
- No college degree typically required to enter
Possible tradeoffs
- Pays below the U.S. median wage ($49,000 vs $61,390)
- Employment is projected to decline (-4.1% through 2034)
What pipelayers earn
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. pipelayers earn between $43,980 and $61,400 a year.
Best-paying states
Best-paying metros
Strongest employment concentration
Live pipelayers jobs
No live pipelayers openings yet
When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified pipelayers openings will appear here — each shown against the $49,000 national median. Nothing here is placeholder.
No placeholder listings · nothing inventedHow to become a pipelayer
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Related occupations
How much do pipelayers make?
The national median wage is $49,000 a year, with the middle half earning between $43,980 and $61,400 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is pipelayers a good career?
On the Jobs.best index it scores 9 of 100 and ranks #739 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change -4.1% through 2034.
What education do you need to become a pipelayer?
The typical entry-level education is no formal educational credential.
Where do pipelayers earn the most?
Among states, Wisconsin pays the highest median ($86,870). Local pay for every state and metro is below.