Pipelayers vs Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Pipelayers and Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Pipelayers | Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $48,710 | $54,660 |
| Employment | 33,580 | 205,230 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | Declining (-4.1%) | About average (+1.8%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 2,400 | 14,300 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Low · 8th pct | Low · 3rd pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 18th pct · 15% of tasks | 4th pct · 10% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | Augmentation-leaning (58.2%) |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | No |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Building and Construction, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Oral Comprehension, Static Strength, Public Safety and Security, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Coordination, Quality Control Analysis, Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Information Ordering, Visualization, Selective Attention, Manual Dexterity, Finger Dexterity, Multilimb Coordination, Rate Control, Reaction Time, Trunk Strength, Stamina, Extent Flexibility, Near Vision, Depth Perception, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Deductive Reasoning, Category Flexibility, Far Vision.
Specific to Pipelayers
- Operation and Control
- Operations Monitoring
- Engineering and Technology
- Mechanical
- Administration and Management
- Reading Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
Specific to Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- English Language
- Monitoring
- Dynamic Strength
- Mathematics
- Complex Problem Solving
- Inductive Reasoning
- Gross Body Coordination
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Specific to Pipelayers
Specific to Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Pipelayers or Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Pipelayers vs Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Pipelayers vs Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Pipelayers vs Construction Laborers
- Pipelayers vs Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
- Pipelayers vs Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
- Pipelayers vs Insulation Workers, Mechanical
- Pipelayers vs Sheet Metal Workers
- Pipelayers vs Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Pipelayers vs Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/pipelayers-vs-cement-masons-and-concrete-finishers
Singulariki. (2026). Pipelayers vs Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/pipelayers-vs-cement-masons-and-concrete-finishers
@misc{singulariki-pipelayers-vs-cement-masons-and-concrete-finishers,
title = {Pipelayers vs Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/pipelayers-vs-cement-masons-and-concrete-finishers}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.