Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019
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:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 36,270 |
3.7 % |
$20.96 |
$43,600 |
1.0 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$13.21 |
$15.59 |
$18.66 |
$24.98 |
$32.71 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$27,470 |
$32,430 |
$38,820 |
$51,960 |
$68,030 |
Industry profile for this occupation:
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 |
15,450 |
2.71 |
$20.66 |
$42,970 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) |
6,970 |
0.13 |
$20.63 |
$42,910 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors |
4,490 |
0.63 |
$20.68 |
$43,010 |
| Building Equipment Contractors |
3,070 |
0.14 |
$24.18 |
$50,300 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction |
2,270 |
0.64 |
$20.75 |
$43,160 |
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 |
15,450 |
2.71 |
$20.66 |
$42,970 |
| Land Subdivision |
440 |
1.17 |
$18.09 |
$37,630 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction |
2,270 |
0.64 |
$20.75 |
$43,160 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors |
4,490 |
0.63 |
$20.68 |
$43,010 |
| Water, Sewage and Other Systems |
250 |
0.46 |
$19.09 |
$39,720 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
Geographic profile for this occupation:
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) |
| Texas |
4,450 |
0.36 |
1.45 |
$17.08 |
$35,520 |
| Florida |
3,670 |
0.42 |
1.69 |
$18.33 |
$38,120 |
| North Carolina |
3,160 |
0.71 |
2.87 |
$16.95 |
$35,250 |
| California |
2,380 |
0.14 |
0.55 |
$28.39 |
$59,060 |
| Alabama |
2,040 |
1.03 |
4.18 |
$17.30 |
$35,970 |
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 |
2,040 |
1.03 |
4.18 |
$17.30 |
$35,970 |
| West Virginia |
680 |
0.97 |
3.91 |
$19.86 |
$41,320 |
| North Carolina |
3,160 |
0.71 |
2.87 |
$16.95 |
$35,250 |
| Oklahoma |
1,020 |
0.63 |
2.56 |
$17.43 |
$36,260 |
| North Dakota |
230 |
0.54 |
2.17 |
$22.09 |
$45,940 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Massachusetts |
400 |
0.11 |
0.45 |
$35.93 |
$74,730 |
| Illinois |
310 |
0.05 |
0.21 |
$33.21 |
$69,070 |
| Washington |
810 |
0.24 |
0.99 |
$32.10 |
$66,770 |
| Minnesota |
720 |
0.25 |
1.01 |
$31.76 |
$66,050 |
| New Jersey |
230 |
0.06 |
0.23 |
$30.34 |
$63,100 |
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) |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC |
1,070 |
0.86 |
3.47 |
$18.12 |
$37,700 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL |
1,030 |
0.79 |
3.22 |
$19.57 |
$40,710 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
910 |
0.25 |
1.00 |
$17.43 |
$36,260 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
860 |
0.28 |
1.14 |
$17.06 |
$35,480 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
780 |
0.24 |
0.99 |
$20.18 |
$41,970 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ |
760 |
0.36 |
1.45 |
$22.36 |
$46,510 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
690 |
0.26 |
1.06 |
$19.39 |
$40,320 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL |
640 |
1.23 |
4.99 |
$17.17 |
$35,710 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
620 |
0.41 |
1.65 |
$22.85 |
$47,540 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
590 |
0.09 |
0.38 |
$31.34 |
$65,180 |
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) |
| Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL |
70 |
1.61 |
6.53 |
$16.48 |
$34,270 |
| Goldsboro, NC |
60 |
1.48 |
6.01 |
$18.12 |
$37,690 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL |
640 |
1.23 |
4.99 |
$17.17 |
$35,710 |
| Ocala, FL |
130 |
1.21 |
4.88 |
$15.25 |
$31,710 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL |
130 |
1.20 |
4.85 |
$17.53 |
$36,460 |
| Jacksonville, NC |
50 |
1.14 |
4.61 |
$15.52 |
$32,290 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC |
170 |
1.08 |
4.39 |
$13.62 |
$28,320 |
| Tulsa, OK |
470 |
1.06 |
4.29 |
$17.90 |
$37,220 |
| Panama City, FL |
80 |
1.05 |
4.27 |
$18.23 |
$37,920 |
| Jackson, TN |
70 |
1.04 |
4.23 |
$21.01 |
$43,700 |
United States Department of Labor
