Pipelayers Salary
The median pay for a pipelayers in Burlington, NC is $46,070/year ($22.15/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $51K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.2), which stretches that salary to about $49,431 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,348/month, about 42.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Burlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Burlington’s Regional Price Parity (93.2). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About pipelayers
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What this looks like in Burlington
Pipelayers pay in Burlington tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,348/month, which is 43.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.2 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for pipelayers in metros near Burlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $49K | $50K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $48K | $49K |
| Winston-Salem | $47K | $51K |
| Asheville | $47K | $49K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Burlington, NC
Entry-level pipelayers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $51K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Pipelayers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Pipelayers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $87K | +77% | 350 |
| Washington | $82K | +68% | 1,050 |
| Minnesota | $82K | +67% | 510 |
| New Jersey | $79K | +61% | 400 |
| California | $76K | +55% | 1,420 |
| Indiana | $74K | +50% | 800 |
| Massachusetts | $73K | +49% | N/A |
| Ohio | $72K | +46% | 1,160 |
| New York | $70K | +44% | 250 |
| Oregon | $64K | +31% | 620 |
| Nevada | $64K | +30% | 450 |
| Arizona | $63K | +28% | 480 |
| Michigan | $62K | +26% | 180 |
| Colorado | $60K | +22% | 790 |
| Kentucky | $59K | +20% | 60 |
| Idaho | $59K | +20% | 280 |
| Delaware | $58K | +19% | N/A |
| Maryland | $56K | +14% | 650 |
| District of Columbia | $55K | +13% | 110 |
| Iowa | $54K | +10% | 280 |
| New Hampshire | $54K | +10% | 210 |
| Utah | $52K | +6% | 530 |
| Maine | $51K | +4% | 110 |
| South Dakota | $51K | +3% | 300 |
| Illinois | $50K | +1% | 280 |
| Virginia | $49K | -1% | 1,080 |
| Montana | $48K | -2% | 80 |
| North Dakota | $48K | -2% | 170 |
| Kansas | $47K | -3% | 240 |
| Florida | $47K | -4% | 4,050 |
| North Carolina | $47K | -4% | 3,830 |
| Georgia | $46K | -6% | 1,890 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -6% | 810 |
| Texas | $46K | -7% | 5,010 |
| New Mexico | $46K | -7% | 190 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | -8% | 530 |
| South Carolina | $45K | -8% | 670 |
| Alabama | $45K | -9% | 460 |
| Nebraska | $44K | -9% | 570 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -10% | N/A |
| Mississippi | $42K | -14% | 320 |
| Pennsylvania | $42K | -15% | 590 |
| West Virginia | $40K | -17% | 180 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -23% | 430 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track pipelayers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Burlington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a pipelayer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Burlington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 43.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,348/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for pipelayers in Burlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pipelayers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,071/month. At HUD’s $1,348/month FMR, rent would take 65% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is pipelayer a high-paying job in Burlington?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Burlington compare to the national average for pipelayers?
Burlington pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do pipelayers make in Burlington, NC?
The median is $46,070 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,520, and experienced pipelayers can clear $50,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Burlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,082/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,348/month, which eats 43.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a pipelayers salary go in Burlington?
Burlington has a Regional Price Parity of 93.2 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median pipelayers salary is worth about $49,431 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do pipelayers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.