# Pipelayers

> Lay pipe for storm or sanitation sewers, drains, and water mains. Perform any combination of the following tasks: grade trenches or culverts, position pipe, or seal joints.

- **SOC code:** 47-2151.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2151-00
- **Also known as:** Pipelayer, Tailman, Cast Iron Drain Pipe Layer, Drain Layer, Drain Tiler, Pipe Assembly Worker, Pipe Caulker, Pipe Connector
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Grade or level trench bases, using tamping machines or hand tools.
- Dig trenches to desired or required depths, by hand or using trenching tools.
- Cut pipes to required lengths.
- Install or use instruments such as lasers, grade rods, or transit levels.
- Cover pipes with earth or other materials.
- Connect pipe pieces and seal joints, using welding equipment, cement, or glue.
- Check slopes for conformance to requirements, using levels or lasers.
- Install or repair sanitary or stormwater sewer structures or pipe systems.
- Align and position pipes to prepare them for welding or sealing.
- Lay out pipe routes, following written instructions or blueprints and coordinating layouts with supervisors.
- Tap and drill holes into pipes to introduce auxiliary lines or devices.
- Operate mechanized equipment, such as pickup trucks, rollers, tandem dump trucks, front-end loaders, or backhoes.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Building and Construction _(knowledge)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Control Precision _(ability)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Static Strength _(ability)_
- Operation and Control _(transferable_skill)_
- Public Safety and Security _(knowledge)_
- Active Listening _(essential_skill)_
- Speaking _(essential_skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(essential_skill)_
- Coordination _(transferable_skill)_
- Operations Monitoring _(transferable_skill)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Depth Perception _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Time Management _(Common Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 5th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 10th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 10th percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 8th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 53rd percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** -4.1% growth (Declining); 2.4k annual openings; 34.4k → 32.9k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $48,710; 33,580 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2151-00_