How much do pipelayers make in Georgia in 2026?

The median pipelayer in Georgia earns $46,220 a year, which works out to roughly $22.22 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the middle of the pack — half of Georgia pipelayers earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working in a lower-demand region of the state, expect to land closer to the 25th percentile at $39,050 annually, or about $18.77 an hour. Experienced hands and those working on larger pipeline or utility infrastructure projects tend to push into the top quarter, where pay hits $50,440 a year — around $24.25 an hour. These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025.

That $11,390 spread between the 25th and 75th percentile tells you something important: where you work in Georgia and what kind of project you're on matters a lot. Metro Atlanta, Savannah, and other fast-growing corridors have ongoing water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure work that keeps demand for pipelayers steady. Suburban expansion around cities like Gwinnett, Cherokee, and Forsyth counties has been generating residential and commercial utility pipeline work for years. Pipelayers in those areas are more likely to see wages near or above the median. Rural counties tend to pay less and offer fewer hours.

The pipelayer classification covers workers who lay pipe for water mains, sewer lines, storm drains, and similar underground systems. The work is physically demanding — it involves trench work, heavy equipment coordination, grade work, and reading plans. Pipelayers are distinct from plumbers; they typically work on buried infrastructure rather than in-building systems. On many Georgia job sites, pipelayers work alongside heavy equipment operators, laborers, and utility contractors on municipal, DOT, or private development contracts.

No union scale data is available for pipelayers in Georgia. The trade is not heavily unionized in the state compared to some northern markets. Most pipelayers here work under open-shop contractors, and wages are set by company pay scales, project size, and the individual's experience and certifications. Workers with OSHA-10 or OSHA-30 cards, confined space training, and experience running a laser level or operating a plate compactor typically command better hourly rates. Foreman-level pipelayers can push well past the 75th percentile figure, though that role often edges into a supervisory classification depending on the contractor.

Hours are another factor that shapes annual take-home. Georgia's climate allows for a longer outdoor work season compared to northern states, which means more billable hours over the course of a year. Many pipelayers here work 10-hour days, four days a week on active job sites, and overtime during project pushes can add meaningfully to annual earnings beyond what the base hourly rate suggests.

If you're weighing whether to take a pipelayer position or negotiating a pay rate, use the $22.22 median as your anchor. A contractor offering $18–$19 an hour for an experienced hand is paying at or below the market midpoint. Anyone with three or more years of experience, foreman potential, or specialty equipment skills has a reasonable case for targeting $23–$24 an hour or better — the range the top quarter of Georgia pipelayers is already earning.

TradesPays will update this page as new BLS OEWS data becomes available. All figures on this page are sourced from BLS OEWS May 2025 and reflect Georgia statewide wage estimates for the pipelayer occupation.