Pipelayers

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Construction & Extraction
• O*NET-SOC code: 47-2151
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Check slopes for conformance to requirements, using levels or lasers.
• Align and position pipes to prepare them for welding or sealing.
• Tap and drill holes into pipes to introduce auxiliary lines or devices.
• Lay out pipe routes, following written instructions or blueprints and coordinating layouts with supervisors.
• 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.
• Operate mechanized equipment, such as pickup trucks, rollers, tandem dump trucks, front-end loaders, or backhoes.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Air compressors, Air hammers, Aligning clamps, Backhoes, Belting slings, Bevel grinding machines, Block and tackle equipment, Boring machines, Bulldozers, Cable plows

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
• Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
• Construction Laborers
• Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
• Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
• Insulation Workers, Mechanical
• Sheet Metal Workers
• Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Pipelayers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.