Pipelayers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

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

Skills

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

Abilities

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

Knowledge

• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

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
• Independence
• Integrity
• Analytical Thinking
• Innovation

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