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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

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:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 110 0.03 $31.75 $66,040
Natural Gas Distribution 240 0.22 $26.29 $54,680
Building Equipment Contractors 3,070 0.14 $24.18 $50,300
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 380 0.31 $22.93 $47,690
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 80 0.01 $22.52 $46,840


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




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)
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 260 0.09 0.37 $38.10 $79,250
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 180 0.04 0.15 $35.79 $74,440
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 570 0.28 1.14 $33.34 $69,350
Eugene, OR 40 0.24 0.97 $33.33 $69,330
Duluth, MN-WI 30 0.23 0.95 $32.98 $68,590
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA (8) (8) (8) $32.83 $68,280
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 520 0.26 1.07 $31.59 $65,720
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 590 0.09 0.38 $31.34 $65,180
Green Bay, WI 90 0.53 2.16 $31.32 $65,140
Madison, WI 40 0.11 0.43 $30.98 $64,440

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)
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 400 2.72 11.01 $21.70 $45,140
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 340 1.36 5.50 $15.99 $33,250
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 280 1.03 4.15 $15.50 $32,250
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 270 1.87 7.56 $15.82 $32,900
Northeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 180 1.88 7.62 $16.54 $34,400

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)
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 400 2.72 11.01 $21.70 $45,140
Northeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 180 1.88 7.62 $16.54 $34,400
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 270 1.87 7.56 $15.82 $32,900
Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 110 1.57 6.35 $18.52 $38,510
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 340 1.36 5.50 $15.99 $33,250

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)
Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 30 0.15 0.62 $33.30 $69,260
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $25.66 $53,370
Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $25.26 $52,540
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 40 0.41 1.65 $24.23 $50,400
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 60 0.40 1.61 $24.02 $49,970


About May 2019 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 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.

(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 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020