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How Much Does a Pipelayer Make?

A pipelayer in the US earns a median salary of $49,000 a year, or $23.56 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $54,700, and the middle half earn between $43,980 and $61,400.

Median a year $49,000
Median an hour $23.56
Median a month $4,083
Average a year $54,700

Pipelayer pay range

What pipelayers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $37,730 $18.14
25th $43,980 $21.15
Median (50th) $49,000 $23.56
75th $61,400 $29.52
90th (top 10%) $80,170 $38.55

The median is 4% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 33,050 people work as pipelayers in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$942
Every two weeks
$1,885
Twice a month
$2,042
A month
$4,083

At the median salary, before tax.

Pipelayer salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Wisconsin pays pipelayers the most, at $86,850 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Wisconsin $86,850 $86,870 350 After tax
Minnesota $85,080 $81,980 510 After tax
Washington $82,170 $82,450 1,050 After tax
New Jersey $78,600 $78,830 400 After tax
California $77,930 $76,180 1,420 After tax
New York $74,270 $70,370 250 After tax
Massachusetts $72,760 $72,770 – After tax
Indiana $72,020 $73,580 800 After tax
Ohio $69,190 $71,560 1,160 After tax
Oregon $66,900 $64,230 620 After tax
Michigan $66,400 $61,560 180 After tax
Nevada $62,160 $63,570 450 After tax
Arizona $61,690 $62,740 480 After tax
Colorado $60,670 $59,740 790 After tax
Kentucky $59,190 $58,820 60 After tax
Maine $58,100 $50,980 110 After tax
District of Columbia $57,120 $55,470 110 After tax
New Hampshire $56,900 $53,870 210 After tax
Montana $56,850 $48,080 80 After tax
Maryland $56,200 $55,640 650 After tax
Delaware $55,730 $58,240 – After tax
Idaho $55,090 $58,650 280 After tax
Iowa $54,940 $53,990 280 After tax
Utah $53,600 $52,000 530 After tax
Pennsylvania $52,570 $41,600 590 After tax
Illinois $51,850 $49,590 280 After tax
North Dakota $50,800 $47,810 170 After tax
South Dakota $49,800 $50,650 300 After tax
Virginia $49,610 $48,700 1,080 After tax
Kansas $48,480 $47,390 240 After tax
Nebraska $48,190 $44,470 570 After tax
North Carolina $47,990 $47,220 3,830 After tax
Florida $47,440 $47,260 4,050 After tax
Georgia $47,230 $46,220 1,890 After tax
Tennessee $46,880 $46,020 810 After tax
Oklahoma $46,220 $45,190 530 After tax
New Mexico $46,210 $45,550 190 After tax
Texas $46,090 $45,620 5,010 After tax
Louisiana $46,030 $44,340 – After tax
South Carolina $45,880 $45,180 670 After tax
Mississippi $45,480 $41,900 320 After tax
Alabama $43,250 $44,550 460 After tax
West Virginia $42,900 $40,440 180 After tax
Arkansas $38,160 $37,650 430 After tax
Puerto Rico $27,700 $25,620 180

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other construction and extraction jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Pipelayers” (SOC 47-2151). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a pipelayer make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a pipelayer is $23.56, and the average is $26.30. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $18.14 an hour and the top 10% over $38.55.

How much does a pipelayer make a month?

At the median salary of $49,000, a pipelayer earns about $4,083 a month before tax, or $1,885 every two weeks.

Which state pays pipelayers the most?

Wisconsin has the highest average pay for a pipelayer, at $86,850 a year. Next are Minnesota and Washington. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a pipelayer?

The lowest-paid 10% of pipelayers earn less than $37,730 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $43,980. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid pipelayers make?

The top 10% earn more than $80,170 a year, and the top 25% more than $61,400.