Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2013

47-2151 Pipelayers

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. Excludes "Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers" (51-4121).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
41,080 2.4 % $19.29 $40,120 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.51 $13.67 $17.44 $23.56 $31.17
Annual Wage (2) $23,940 $28,440 $36,280 $49,010 $64,840


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Utility System Construction 14,550 3.25 $19.43 $40,410
Local Government (OES Designation) 11,520 0.21 $18.78 $39,060
Building Equipment Contractors 4,850 0.28 $20.49 $42,620
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 3,660 0.66 $17.18 $35,730
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 2,380 0.80 $18.67 $38,830

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Utility System Construction 14,550 3.25 $19.43 $40,410
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 600 1.25 $18.92 $39,360
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 2,380 0.80 $18.67 $38,830
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 3,660 0.66 $17.18 $35,730
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 510 0.50 $20.15 $41,910

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 130 (7) $31.15 $64,800
Natural Gas Distribution 520 0.48 $28.48 $59,230
Management of Companies and Enterprises 50 (7) $23.01 $47,850
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 170 0.02 $22.60 $47,000
Nonresidential Building Construction 960 0.14 $21.33 $44,370


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Florida 4,400 0.59 1.91 $16.43 $34,170
Texas 4,330 0.40 1.28 $14.79 $30,770
California 3,160 0.21 0.69 $27.53 $57,270
Alabama 2,270 1.23 3.98 $16.83 $35,010
North Carolina 1,870 0.47 1.53 $14.55 $30,270




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alabama 2,270 1.23 3.98 $16.83 $35,010
North Dakota 310 0.74 2.39 $18.91 $39,330
Oklahoma 940 0.60 1.94 $16.06 $33,400
Tennessee 1,600 0.59 1.91 $16.60 $34,520
Florida 4,400 0.59 1.91 $16.43 $34,170




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 720 0.19 0.61 $30.41 $63,240
Massachusetts 310 0.10 0.31 $29.32 $60,980
Connecticut 210 0.13 0.42 $27.94 $58,120
California 3,160 0.21 0.69 $27.53 $57,270
Minnesota 680 0.25 0.82 $27.51 $57,220





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 880 0.32 1.03 $14.99 $31,180
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 780 0.74 2.40 $16.18 $33,650
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 760 1.54 4.98 $17.24 $35,860
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 690 0.48 1.54 $24.97 $51,930
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 690 0.29 0.94 $19.42 $40,400
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 680 0.32 1.03 $16.11 $33,500
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 680 0.53 1.72 $19.74 $41,050
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 680 0.17 0.55 $27.51 $57,230
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 660 0.37 1.19 $18.06 $37,560
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 640 0.12 0.39 $21.51 $44,740




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Mobile, AL 310 1.86 6.00 $19.49 $40,550
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 90 1.79 5.77 $20.88 $43,440
Owensboro, KY 80 1.69 5.45 $12.50 $26,000
Panama City-Lynn Haven-Panama City Beach, FL 120 1.64 5.29 $14.22 $29,570
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 760 1.54 4.98 $17.24 $35,860
Lewiston, ID-WA 40 1.49 4.81 $21.60 $44,940
Sherman-Denison, TX 60 1.38 4.46 $12.53 $26,060
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 310 1.27 4.11 $12.92 $26,870
Greeley, CO 110 1.26 4.08 $17.26 $35,900
Columbus, GA-AL 140 1.23 3.97 $17.52 $36,450




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division 200 0.78 2.52 $32.71 $68,040
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 70 0.13 0.41 $31.51 $65,550
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 130 0.08 0.25 $31.03 $64,530
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ (8) (8) (8) $30.98 $64,440
New Haven, CT 50 0.18 0.59 $30.89 $64,240
Bellingham, WA 40 0.54 1.75 $30.60 $63,640
Green Bay, WI 40 0.24 0.77 $30.25 $62,920
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 380 0.21 0.68 $30.09 $62,580
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 330 0.27 0.87 $30.03 $62,450
Anchorage, AK (8) (8) (8) $29.95 $62,290

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 310 2.35 7.57 $15.54 $32,320
Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 210 1.66 5.36 $13.86 $28,830
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 210 0.71 2.30 $13.33 $27,720
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 200 1.82 5.89 $22.82 $47,470
Eastern Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 160 1.16 3.75 $16.14 $33,570

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 310 2.35 7.57 $15.54 $32,320
Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 130 2.09 6.74 $15.64 $32,530
Southwest Idaho nonmetropolitan area 30 1.85 5.99 $18.62 $38,720
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 200 1.82 5.89 $22.82 $47,470
Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 210 1.66 5.36 $13.86 $28,830

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 60 0.50 1.61 $27.66 $57,530
North Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $24.76 $51,500
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 40 0.22 0.73 $24.27 $50,470
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 90 0.42 1.36 $23.67 $49,240
Northeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $22.98 $47,790


About May 2013 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2013 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2013 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2013 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2013 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2013 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 1, 2014