Pipelayers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for pipelayerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Wisconsin$86,850
- Minnesota$85,080
- Washington$82,170
- New Jersey$78,600
- California$77,930
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$38,160
- West Virginia$42,900
- Alabama$43,250
- Mississippi$45,480
- South Carolina$45,880
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | $86,850 | $86,870 | $42 | +58.8% | 350 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $85,080 | $81,980 | $41 | +55.5% | 510 |
| 3 | Washington | $82,170 | $82,450 | $40 | +50.2% | 1,050 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $78,600 | $78,830 | $38 | +43.7% | 400 |
| 5 | California | $77,930 | $76,180 | $37 | +42.5% | 1,420 |
| 6 | New York | $74,270 | $70,370 | $36 | +35.8% | 250 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $72,760 | $72,770 | $35 | +33% | — |
| 8 | Indiana | $72,020 | $73,580 | $35 | +31.7% | 800 |
| 9 | Ohio | $69,190 | $71,560 | $33 | +26.5% | 1,160 |
| 10 | Oregon | $66,900 | $64,230 | $32 | +22.3% | 620 |
| 11 | Michigan | $66,400 | $61,560 | $32 | +21.4% | 180 |
| 12 | Nevada | $62,160 | $63,570 | $30 | +13.6% | 450 |
| 13 | Arizona | $61,690 | $62,740 | $30 | +12.8% | 480 |
| 14 | Colorado | $60,670 | $59,740 | $29 | +10.9% | 790 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $59,190 | $58,820 | $28 | +8.2% | 60 |
| 16 | Maine | $58,100 | $50,980 | $28 | +6.2% | 110 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $57,120 | $55,470 | $27 | +4.4% | 110 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $56,900 | $53,870 | $27 | +4% | 210 |
| 19 | Montana | $56,850 | $48,080 | $27 | +3.9% | 80 |
| 20 | Maryland | $56,200 | $55,640 | $27 | +2.7% | 650 |
| 21 | Delaware | $55,730 | $58,240 | $27 | +1.9% | — |
| 22 | Idaho | $55,090 | $58,650 | $26 | +0.7% | 280 |
| 23 | Iowa | $54,940 | $53,990 | $26 | +0.4% | 280 |
| 24 | Utah | $53,600 | $52,000 | $26 | -2% | 530 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $52,570 | $41,600 | $25 | -3.9% | 590 |
| 26 | Illinois | $51,850 | $49,590 | $25 | -5.2% | 280 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $50,800 | $47,810 | $24 | -7.1% | 170 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $49,800 | $50,650 | $24 | -9% | 300 |
| 29 | Virginia | $49,610 | $48,700 | $24 | -9.3% | 1,080 |
| 30 | Kansas | $48,480 | $47,390 | $23 | -11.4% | 240 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $48,190 | $44,470 | $23 | -11.9% | 570 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $47,990 | $47,220 | $23 | -12.3% | 3,830 |
| 33 | Florida | $47,440 | $47,260 | $23 | -13.3% | 4,050 |
| 34 | Georgia | $47,230 | $46,220 | $23 | -13.7% | 1,890 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $46,880 | $46,020 | $23 | -14.3% | 810 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $46,220 | $45,190 | $22 | -15.5% | 530 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $46,210 | $45,550 | $22 | -15.5% | 190 |
| 38 | Texas | $46,090 | $45,620 | $22 | -15.7% | 5,010 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $46,030 | $44,340 | $22 | -15.9% | — |
| 40 | South Carolina | $45,880 | $45,180 | $22 | -16.1% | 670 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $45,480 | $41,900 | $22 | -16.9% | 320 |
| 42 | Alabama | $43,250 | $44,550 | $21 | -20.9% | 460 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $42,900 | $40,440 | $21 | -21.6% | 180 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $38,160 | $37,650 | $18 | -30.2% | 430 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 165 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $94,990 | $91,150 | 50 |
| 2 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $93,550 | $90,340 | 90 |
| 3 | Green Bay, WI | $91,520 | $86,120 | 40 |
| 4 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $90,880 | $78,090 | 40 |
| 5 | Madison, WI | $86,870 | $91,050 | 50 |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $84,830 | $84,530 | 610 |
| 7 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $82,020 | $88,060 | 320 |
| 8 | Youngstown-Warren, OH | $81,250 | $74,030 | 30 |
| 9 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $80,990 | $79,970 | 30 |
| 10 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80,370 | $83,110 | 390 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing pipelayerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing | $81,280 | $74,710 | 50 |
| 2 | Natural Gas Distribution | $81,200 | $76,600 | 170 |
| 3 | Other Building Equipment Contractors | $67,250 | $64,320 | — |
| 4 | Educational Services, State Government Owned | $64,450 | $62,260 | 30 |
| 5 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $64,450 | $62,260 | 30 |
| 6 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, State Government Owned | $64,450 | $62,260 | 30 |
| 7 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $64,450 | $67,150 | 40 |
| 8 | Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | $63,990 | $66,670 | 60 |
| 9 | Sector 42 - Wholesale Trade | $62,630 | $57,460 | 60 |
| 10 | Educational Services | $60,260 | $60,890 | 40 |
| 11 | Sector 61 - Educational Services | $60,260 | $60,890 | 40 |
| 12 | Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | $59,620 | $58,800 | 340 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do pipelayers make in the U.S.?
The median pipelayers salary in the United States is $49,000 per year (mean $54,700), and about 80% earn between $37,730 and $80,170.
How much do pipelayers make per hour?
Roughly $26 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $54,700 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays pipelayers the most?
Wisconsin has the highest average pay for pipelayers at $86,850 per year (median $86,870).
What is the job outlook for pipelayers?
Employment is projected to change -4.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 2,400 openings per year.