Pipelayers Salary
The median pay for a pipelayers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is $58,560/year ($28.15/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $93K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.55), that's roughly $57,104 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,810/month, about 46.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $59K actually covers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (102.55). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington sits well above the national pay line for pipelayers, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $49K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,810/month, which is 45.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for pipelayers in metros near Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $61K | $62K |
| York-Hanover | $58K | $61K |
| Columbus | $72K | $75K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $80K | $71K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Entry-level pipelayers (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $93K or more, a $44K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a pipelayer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 45.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,810/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for pipelayers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pipelayers typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,304/month. At HUD’s $1,810/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $59K here vs. $49K nationally.
How does Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington compare to the national average for pipelayers?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do pipelayers make in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
The median is $58,560 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,670, and experienced pipelayers can clear $92,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,941/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,810/month, which eats 45.9% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 102.55 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median pipelayers salary is worth about $57,104 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.