How much do pipelayers make in Colorado in 2026?

Pipelayers in Colorado earn a median wage of $59,740 per year, which works out to roughly $28.72 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That figure sits in the middle of the range — half of Colorado pipelayers earn more, half earn less. It's a solid benchmark for someone with a few years of experience who knows the work well.

At the lower end of the pay scale, the 25th percentile comes in at $50,710 per year, or about $24.38 an hour. Workers at this level are typically newer to the trade, still building speed and familiarity with different pipe materials, trench conditions, and grade requirements. It's not a bad starting point, but there's a clear path upward once you log more time in the ditch.

The 75th percentile reaches $69,720 annually, roughly $33.52 an hour. Pipelayers hitting this tier usually have a strong handle on reading grade lasers, operating trench safety equipment, working with multiple pipe types — PVC, ductile iron, concrete — and keeping pace on larger municipal or commercial jobs. Contractors pay more for workers who don't need to be told twice and who can keep a crew moving without creating rework.

The spread between the 25th and 75th percentile is $19,010 per year. That's not trivial. A pipelayer who pushes from the bottom quartile to the top quartile over a career adds nearly $10 an hour to their rate. Experience, reliability, and versatility drive that gap more than anything else.

Colorado's geography plays into the work itself. The Front Range has seen steady utility and infrastructure construction activity, meaning pipelayers in the Denver metro, Colorado Springs, and surrounding areas generally have consistent work available. Mountain and rural jobs can be more seasonal, and remote site work sometimes comes with per diem or travel pay that can meaningfully increase total compensation beyond the base hourly rate — though those amounts vary by contractor and project and are not captured in the BLS figures here.

No union scale data is available for pipelayers in Colorado at this time. Non-union pipelayers should use the percentile ranges above as a reference point when evaluating offers or negotiating pay. If a contractor is offering below $24.38 an hour for experienced work, it's worth asking why.

These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. BLS surveys employers directly, making it one of the most reliable sources for trade wage data. The numbers reflect base wages and do not include overtime, benefits, or per diem pay.