How to hire pipelayers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Check slopes for conformance to requirements, using levels or lasers. • Connect pipe pieces and seal joints, using welding equipment, cement, or glue. • Cover pipes with earth or other materials. • Cut pipes to required lengths. • Dig trenches to desired or required depths, by hand or using trenching tools. • Grade or level trench bases, using tamping machines or hand tools. • Install or repair sanitary or stormwater sewer structures or pipe systems. • Install or use instruments such as lasers, grade rods, or transit levels. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong active listening, critical thinking and speaking skills • Working knowledge of building and construction • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $23.56 an hour ($49,000 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for pipelayers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to check slopes for conformance to requirements, using levels or lasers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to connect pipe pieces and seal joints, using welding equipment, cement, or glue. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to cover pipes with earth or other materials. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to cut pipes to required lengths. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What pipelayers do
- Check slopes for conformance to requirements, using levels or lasers.
- Connect pipe pieces and seal joints, using welding equipment, cement, or glue.
- Cover pipes with earth or other materials.
- Cut pipes to required lengths.
- Dig trenches to desired or required depths, by hand or using trenching tools.
- Grade or level trench bases, using tamping machines or hand tools.
- Install or repair sanitary or stormwater sewer structures or pipe systems.
- Install or use instruments such as lasers, grade rods, or transit levels.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for pipelayers
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -3.1% over ten years, declining · about 2,100 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay pipelayers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Washington | $82,450 |
| Minnesota | $81,980 |
| California | $76,180 |
| Indiana | $73,580 |
| Ohio | $71,560 |
| South Carolina | $45,180 |
| Nebraska | $44,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,600 |
See pipelayers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Construction Laborers
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Boilermakers
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.