Pipelayers
Also called: Pipelayer, TailmanLay 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.
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What the data says: AI couldn't halve the time on any of its 14 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 3.1% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.0% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 12.8 hires for every 10 job openings in construction, which employs about 80% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.12.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $44,550 | $36,440 to $49,700 | 460 |
| Arizona | $62,740 | $56,510 to $65,710 | 480 |
| Arkansas | $37,650 | $36,440 to $40,210 | 430 |
| California | $76,180 | $61,870 to $94,560 | 1,420 |
| Colorado | $59,740 | $50,710 to $69,720 | 790 |
| Delaware | $58,240 | $46,700 to $59,840 | not published |
| District of Columbia | $55,470 | $50,850 to $59,830 | 110 |
| Florida | $47,260 | $43,820 to $49,800 | 4,050 |
| Georgia | $46,220 | $39,050 to $50,440 | 1,890 |
| Idaho | $58,650 | $47,580 to $65,210 | 280 |
| Illinois | $49,590 | $45,700 to $55,950 | 280 |
| Indiana | $73,580 | $52,040 to $91,860 | 800 |
| Iowa | $53,990 | $50,190 to $57,800 | 280 |
| Kansas | $47,390 | $45,160 to $48,730 | 240 |
| Kentucky | $58,820 | $53,880 to $58,830 | 60 |
| Louisiana | $44,340 | $37,380 to $48,250 | not published |
| Maine | $50,980 | $47,530 to $65,050 | 110 |
| Maryland | $55,640 | $49,910 to $60,890 | 650 |
| Massachusetts | $72,770 | $63,020 to $86,550 | not published |
| Michigan | $61,560 | $57,110 to $77,570 | 180 |
| Minnesota | $81,980 | $75,840 to $95,040 | 510 |
| Mississippi | $41,900 | $36,930 to $48,300 | 320 |
| Montana | $48,080 | $47,480 to $62,170 | 80 |
| Nebraska | $44,470 | $38,100 to $55,720 | 570 |
| Nevada | $63,570 | $48,650 to $75,820 | 450 |
| New Hampshire | $53,870 | $41,670 to $61,170 | 210 |
| New Jersey | $78,830 | $63,360 to $97,310 | 400 |
| New Mexico | $45,550 | $42,020 to $48,240 | 190 |
| New York | $70,370 | $52,510 to $80,370 | 250 |
| North Carolina | $47,220 | $42,200 to $51,880 | 3,830 |
| North Dakota | $47,810 | $47,580 to $49,140 | 170 |
| Ohio | $71,560 | $59,530 to $79,720 | 1,160 |
| Oklahoma | $45,190 | $38,770 to $51,900 | 530 |
| Oregon | $64,230 | $57,820 to $75,240 | 620 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,600 | $41,600 to $61,230 | 590 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,620 | $23,900 to $33,060 | 180 |
| South Carolina | $45,180 | $38,960 to $49,490 | 670 |
| South Dakota | $50,650 | $43,160 to $56,750 | 300 |
| Tennessee | $46,020 | $41,800 to $48,970 | 810 |
| Texas | $45,620 | $39,870 to $49,490 | 5,010 |
| Utah | $52,000 | $49,620 to $57,220 | 530 |
| Virginia | $48,700 | $44,020 to $56,870 | 1,080 |
| Washington | $82,450 | $70,110 to $95,180 | 1,050 |
| West Virginia | $40,440 | $35,850 to $46,950 | 180 |
| Wisconsin | $86,870 | $80,990 to $93,550 | 350 |
Nationally: $49,000. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on none of its 14 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Grade or level trench bases, using tamping machines or hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Dig trenches to desired or required depths, by hand or using trenching tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Cut pipes to required lengths. | Not published |
| Not much | Install or repair sanitary or stormwater sewer structures or pipe systems. | Not published |
| Not much | Connect pipe pieces and seal joints, using welding equipment, cement, or glue. | Not published |
| Not much | Align and position pipes to prepare them for welding or sealing. | Not published |
See all 14 tasks
| Not much | Cover pipes with earth or other materials. | Not published |
| Not much | Tap and drill holes into pipes to introduce auxiliary lines or devices. | Not published |
| Not much | Lay out pipe routes, following written instructions or blueprints and coordinating layouts with supervisors. | Not published |
| Not much | Install or use instruments such as lasers, grade rods, or transit levels. | Not published |
| Not much | Check slopes for conformance to requirements, using levels or lasers. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate mechanized equipment, such as pickup trucks, rollers, tandem dump trucks, front-end loaders, or backhoes. | Not published |
| Not much | Train or supervise others in laying pipe. | Not published |
| Not much | Locate existing pipes needing repair or replacement, using magnetic or radio indicators. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 14 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 14 tasks fall under 15 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perform general construction or extraction activities | |||
| Install plumbing or piping equipment or systems | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Maintain facilities or equipment | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly |
Show all 15 activities
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Drill holes in earth or materials | |||
| Join parts using soldering, welding, or brazing techniques | |||
| Direct construction or extraction activities | |||
| Operate construction or excavation equipment |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for pipelayers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved in from
of 163 moves in
- 1 Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 19%
- 2 Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health High +6.9% 11%
- 3 Construction Laborers Low +7.3% 6%
- 13 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Moderate +10.9% 2%
- 14 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators Low +4.6% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 65% less than high school
- 33% high school
- 2% postsecondary certificate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 14 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 25% less than high school
- 48% high school
- 18% some college
- 7% associate's
- 2% bachelor's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 487 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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