Pipelayers Salary
The median pay for a pipelayers in Texas is $45,620/year ($21.93/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $49,863 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 43.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $46K actually covers in Texas, month by month
About pipelayers
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What this looks like in Texas
Pipelayers pay in Texas tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 43.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level pipelayers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Pipelayers salary by metro in Texas
11 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $48K | +6% | 740 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $47K | +2% | 1,240 |
| Midland | $45K | -0% | 100 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $45K | -1% | 1,300 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $44K | -3% | 380 |
| Odessa | $42K | -8% | 40 |
| College Station-Bryan | $42K | -8% | 70 |
| Corpus Christi | $42K | -9% | 70 |
| Longview | $41K | -10% | 40 |
| El Paso | $38K | -16% | 140 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $37K | -18% | 80 |
Showing 1–10 of 11 metros
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Track pipelayers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Texas 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 Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 43.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for pipelayers in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pipelayers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,649/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Texas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Texas compare to the national average for pipelayers?
Texas pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do pipelayers make in Texas?
The median is $45,620 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,030, and experienced pipelayers can clear $56,730. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,225/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 43.9% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $49,863 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.