Pipelayers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Cover pipes with earth or other materials.
• Align and position pipes to prepare them for welding or sealing.
• Lay out pipe routes, following written instructions or blueprints and coordinating layouts with supervisors.
• Dig trenches to desired or required depths, by hand or using trenching tools.
• 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.
• Check slopes for conformance to requirements, using levels or lasers.
• Train or supervise others in laying pipe.
• Install or repair sanitary or stormwater sewer structures or pipe systems.
• Connect pipe pieces and seal joints, using welding equipment, cement, or glue.
• Locate existing pipes needing repair or replacement, using magnetic or radio indicators.
• Lay out pipe routes, following written instructions or blueprints and coordinating layouts with supervisors.
• Connect pipe pieces and seal joints, using welding equipment, cement, or glue.
• Install or use instruments such as lasers, grade rods, or transit levels.
• Tap and drill holes into pipes to introduce auxiliary lines or devices.
• Cut pipes to required lengths.
• Grade or level trench bases, using tamping machines or hand tools.
• Train or supervise others in laying pipe.
• Operate mechanized equipment, such as pickup trucks, rollers, tandem dump trucks, front-end loaders, or backhoes.

Skills

• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

Abilities

• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

Knowledge

• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Education

Education

No formal educational credential

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Less than 1 month on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

80280/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

38.6/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

1,010

Yearly Projected Openings

90

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Initiative
• Cooperation
• Persistence
• Integrity

Tools

• Air compressors
• Backhoes
• Blocks or pulleys
• Blow torch
• Boring or sinking machinery
• Caulking guns
• Circuit tracers
• Compactors
• Desktop computers
• Dewatering pumps
• Diaphragm pumps
• Drain or pipe cleaning equipment
• Dredgers
• Drill press or radial drill
• Explosimeters
• Forklifts
• Gas generators
• Graders
• Hammers
• Hydraulic truck cranes
• Integrated tool carriers
• Jacks
• Ladders
• Laser measuring systems
• Laser printers
• Level sensors or transmitters
• Levels
• Liquid leak detectors
• Manlift or personnel lift
• Metal detectors
• Metal inert gas welding machine
• Mill saw file
• Mud pumps
• Notebook computers
• Offset socket wrenches
• Ohmmeters
• Personal computers
• Pipe bending mandrel
• Pipe bending tools
• Pipe layer
• Pipe or tube cutter
• Pipe vises
• Pneumatic grinders
• Pneumatic hammer
• Pneumatic sanding machines
• Power drills
• Power grinders
• Power saws
• Pressure indicators
• Pry bars
• Scaffolding
• Sheet metal grooving machine
• Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
• Shovels
• Sledge hammer
• Slings
• Spot welding machine
• Squares
• Tampers
• Tapping machine
• Threading die hand tool
• Track excavators
• Track loaders
• Trenching machines
• Tube end finisher
• Tungsten inert gas welding machine
• Voltage or current meters
• Water pumps
• Welding masks
• Wheel bulldozers
• Wheel loaders
• Winches
• Wire brushes

Technology

• Office suite software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software