Pipelayers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

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

Skills

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

Abilities

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

Knowledge

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• 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.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• 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.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• 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.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• 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.
• 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.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• 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.
• 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.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• 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.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

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:

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail

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