Pipelayers Salary
The median pay for a pipelayers in Columbus, OH is $71,560/year ($34.41/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $90K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.47), that's roughly $74,955 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,430/month, about 30.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $72K actually covers in Columbus, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (95.47). 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 Columbus
Columbus sits well above the national pay line for pipelayers, local pay runs about 46% higher than the U.S. median of $49K. Rent runs $1,430/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.47) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for pipelayers in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | $71K | $74K |
| Cleveland | $80K | $85K |
| Toledo | $77K | $84K |
| Youngstown-Warren | $81K | $93K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, OH
Entry-level pipelayers (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $90K or more, a $26K 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 with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track pipelayers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Columbus numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a pipelayer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbus?
Yes — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 29.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,430/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for pipelayers in Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pipelayers typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,359/month. At HUD’s $1,430/month FMR, rent would take 33% 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 Columbus?
Local pay is 46% above the national median — $72K here vs. $49K nationally.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for pipelayers?
Columbus pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +46%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.47), the purchasing-power equivalent is $75K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do pipelayers make in Columbus, OH?
The median is $71,560 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,940, and experienced pipelayers can clear $89,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,788/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,430/month, which eats 29.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a pipelayers salary go in Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 95.47 (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 $74,955 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.