Compare A Ironworker ↔ B Pipelayer
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1 move · -$6,620 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
Gates on this route
- Move 1, to Pipelayer: license depends on the work (Texas: yard water lines and building sewers for 1-2 family homes are plumbing (TSBPE Residential Utilities Installer registration). Utility mains and most private site mains are exempt (1301.053, 1301.059)).
Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Ironworker to Pipelayer -$6,620 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Pipelayers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.78 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: license depends on the work (Texas: yard water lines and building sewers for 1-2 family homes are plumbing (TSBPE Residential Utilities Installer registration). Utility mains and most private site mains are exempt (1301.053, 1301.059)).
Side by side
All Pipelayers: Texas median $45,620, $6,620 less a year than all Structural Iron and Steel Workers ($52,240), every experience level.
Ironworker: 34% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.9 times the share for Pipelayer (17%).
Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k
Gates on the route: license depends on the work (Texas: yard water lines and building sewers for 1-2 family homes are plumbing (TSBPE Residential Utilities Installer registration). Utility mains and most private site mains are exempt (1301.053, 1301.059)).
Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation
A +3.6% Texas, 850 openings a year
B +0.2% Texas, 480 openings a year
Over 40 h a week
Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first
3.4 / 5-0.33.1 / 5
- High places-2.43High places: A 3.74, B 1.31
- Outdoors, all weather+2.03Outdoors, all weather: A 2.87, B 4.9
- Protective gear-0.87Protective gear: A 3.47, B 2.6
- Hazardous conditions-0.79Hazardous conditions: A 2.93, B 2.14
- Climbing ladders-0.50Climbing ladders: A 3.07, B 2.57
Degree
A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 7% do).
B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 0% do).
License
A No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).
B Texas: yard water lines and building sewers for 1-2 family homes are plumbing (TSBPE Residential Utilities Installer registration). Utility mains and most private site mains are exempt (1301.053, 1301.059).
Experience
A Most common related work experience: none (O*NET: 57%).
B Most common related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 19%).
Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5
You likely have: 6
- Operation and Control
- Active Listening
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
To build: 0
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