Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

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)
43,570 2.4 % $18.98 $39,470 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.13 $13.45 $17.26 $22.97 $30.08
Annual Wage (2) $23,160 $27,980 $35,900 $47,790 $62,570


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 15,960 4.03 $19.15 $39,830
Local Government (OES Designation) 12,700 0.23 $18.01 $37,470
Building Equipment Contractors 4,960 0.30 $20.48 $42,600
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 3,570 0.67 $18.48 $38,450
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 2,100 0.71 $19.46 $40,470

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 15,960 4.03 $19.15 $39,830
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 670 1.42 $18.63 $38,750
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 2,100 0.71 $19.46 $40,470
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 3,570 0.67 $18.48 $38,450
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 540 0.55 $17.77 $36,960

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 40 (7) $32.91 $68,460
Natural Gas Distribution 290 0.27 $22.94 $47,720
Support Activities for Mining 120 0.04 $20.74 $43,130
Building Equipment Contractors 4,960 0.30 $20.48 $42,600
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 2,100 0.71 $19.46 $40,470


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)
Texas 5,040 0.49 1.44 $14.48 $30,120
Florida 3,700 0.52 1.52 $15.92 $33,100
California 2,990 0.21 0.63 $25.54 $53,130
North Carolina 2,210 0.58 1.70 $14.98 $31,160
Tennessee 1,950 0.75 2.20 $16.54 $34,410




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 1,770 0.98 2.88 $15.10 $31,420
Tennessee 1,950 0.75 2.20 $16.54 $34,410
Oklahoma 1,050 0.70 2.06 $14.96 $31,110
Vermont 200 0.68 1.99 $18.99 $39,490
Colorado 1,370 0.63 1.85 $17.43 $36,260




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Illinois 740 0.13 0.39 $28.58 $59,440
Minnesota 720 0.28 0.82 $27.68 $57,570
Nevada 330 0.29 0.87 $27.48 $57,160
Washington 1,190 0.44 1.29 $27.06 $56,290
Connecticut 200 0.12 0.37 $26.79 $55,720





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)
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 1,220 0.60 1.76 $16.00 $33,280
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 930 0.51 1.51 $23.58 $49,040
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 800 0.66 1.95 $17.23 $35,850
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 760 0.30 0.87 $14.67 $30,520
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 680 0.31 0.90 $16.86 $35,070
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 680 0.62 1.81 $15.94 $33,150
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 580 0.34 1.01 $22.53 $46,870
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 500 0.44 1.30 $27.35 $56,880
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 500 1.05 3.09 $15.95 $33,180
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division 490 0.57 1.67 $14.48 $30,130




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)
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 230 1.95 5.75 (8) (8)
Grand Junction, CO 100 1.67 4.91 $19.12 $39,770
Dothan, AL 80 1.42 4.19 $13.31 $27,690
Columbus, GA-AL 150 1.33 3.91 $15.66 $32,580
Sherman-Denison, TX 50 1.23 3.63 $14.86 $30,910
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 60 1.23 3.61 $18.26 $37,970
Auburn-Opelika, AL 60 1.21 3.55 $14.76 $30,710
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 130 1.19 3.51 $23.69 $49,280
Decatur, AL 60 1.19 3.51 $15.76 $32,780
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 260 1.12 3.28 $13.20 $27,460




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)
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 40 0.07 0.21 $32.51 $67,620
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $31.66 $65,850
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 50 0.18 0.53 $31.36 $65,230
Spokane, WA 70 0.34 0.99 $31.26 $65,020
Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division 180 0.71 2.09 $30.66 $63,760
St. Cloud, MN 30 0.36 1.06 $29.91 $62,220
Bellingham, WA 70 0.98 2.89 $29.06 $60,440
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA (8) (8) (8) $28.96 $60,250
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA (8) (8) (8) $28.92 $60,160
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 90 0.11 0.34 $28.73 $59,750

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)
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 320 1.31 3.86 $15.12 $31,460
South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 240 1.94 5.70 $15.53 $32,300
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 230 0.78 2.30 $13.24 $27,550
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 180 1.57 4.62 $13.24 $27,530
Eastern Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 170 1.26 3.72 $14.39 $29,930

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 240 1.94 5.70 $15.53 $32,300
Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area 80 1.70 4.99 $24.12 $50,160
Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 100 1.62 4.76 $13.57 $28,230
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 180 1.57 4.62 $13.24 $27,530
Western South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 50 1.32 3.89 $14.33 $29,800

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)
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $25.19 $52,390
West Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 30 0.21 0.63 $25.08 $52,160
Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area 80 1.70 4.99 $24.12 $50,160
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 100 0.58 1.71 $23.19 $48,230
Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area 50 0.72 2.12 $22.69 $47,180


About May 2011 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 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012