How to become a Pipelayer

Official title: Pipelayers

Also called: Pipelayer, Tailman

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.

Main tasks

• Grade or level trench bases, using tamping machines or hand tools.
• Dig trenches to desired or required depths, by hand or using trenching tools.
• Cut pipes to required lengths.
• Install or use instruments such as lasers, grade rods, or transit levels.
• Cover pipes with earth or other materials.
• Connect pipe pieces and seal joints, using welding equipment, cement, or glue.
• Install or repair sanitary or stormwater sewer structures or pipe systems.
• Check slopes for conformance to requirements, using levels or lasers.

How to become one

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Ways in

• Licence: A licence is required in 36 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $49,000 a year The middle half earn $43,980 to $61,400.
• About 33,200 people work in this job now, and about 32,200 are projected by 2035. (-3.1%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
• Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
• Carpenters
• Pile Driver Operators
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers

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Questions people ask

How much does a Pipelayer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $49,000 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $43,980 to $61,400.

Is a Pipelayer a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 3% by 2035, from about 33,200 to about 32,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Pipelayer?

Usually not. Only 6% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Pipelayer?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.