How much do pipelayers make in Texas in 2026?

The median pipelayer in Texas earns $45,620 per year, which works out to roughly $21.93 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the middle of the pack — half of pipelayers in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working in a slower market, the 25th percentile sits at $39,870 annually, or about $19.17 per hour. Workers in the top quarter of earners hit $49,490 per year, around $23.79 per hour. All figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025.

That $9,620 spread between the 25th and 75th percentile is meaningful. It reflects differences in employer type, project scale, local demand, and how many years you've been in the dirt. A pipelayer running a crew on a large municipal water main project in the Houston metro will command more than someone digging residential sewer laterals in a smaller market. Location within Texas matters: the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin all have active construction pipelines that can push wages toward or above the 75th percentile range.

Pipelayers in Texas install and maintain the underground pipe systems that carry sewer, storm drainage, and water. The work is physically demanding and often time-sensitive — municipalities and developers rarely have patience for delays. You'll spend significant time in trenches, operating hand tools and power equipment, shoring and grading, and reading grade stakes. Work can be seasonal, though Texas's milder winters compared to northern states mean the season disruption is less severe, which helps with annual hours and total take-home.

No union scale data is available for pipelayers in Texas through TradesPays at this time. In states and trades where union contracts apply, scale rates typically set a hard floor on what journeyworkers earn. In a predominantly open-shop state like Texas, your negotiating leverage comes from demonstrated skill, operator certifications, OSHA 10 or 30 cards, and a record of finishing jobs on time without callbacks. Employers doing municipal and public-works contracting often pay more than residential or light commercial subcontractors because the specs are tighter and the liability is higher.

Overtime is common in this trade, especially when a contractor is trying to hit a substantial-completion date or restore a water main break. At the median base rate of $21.93 per hour, overtime at 1.5x comes out to $32.90 per hour. Ten overtime hours per week for 30 weeks adds roughly $9,870 to your annual earnings — enough to move a 25th-percentile worker close to median, or push a median worker well past the 75th percentile figure.

If you're evaluating offers, pay attention to whether the employer covers health insurance, provides a truck or fuel allowance, and offers any retirement matching. These benefits aren't included in the wage figures above, but they represent real compensation. A $44,000-per-year job with full health coverage and a 3% 401(k) match can be worth more in total than a $46,000 job with none of that.

For pipelayers looking to move up the pay scale without leaving the trade, two common paths are becoming a licensed plumber — which requires additional apprenticeship hours but opens substantially higher wages — or moving into a crew lead or foreman role, where you're accountable for production and safety and typically earn above the 75th percentile. Some experienced pipelayers also transition into pipeline inspection or utility locating, which are less physically punishing and can pay competitively depending on certifications held.