Pipelayers pay range in San Diego
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $52,160 a year or less, while the top 10% make $93,770 or more. The middle half of pipelayers in San Diego earn between $62,400 and $74,070.
- $52K10th
- $62K25th
- $65KMedian
- $74K75th
- $94K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $71,560 | $5,963 | $34.40 |
| Median | $64,770 | $5,398 | $31.14 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $62,400 | $5,200 | $30.00 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $74,070 | $6,172 | $35.61 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Pipelayers salary after taxes in San Diego
On the average salary of $71,560, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $56,520 a year, or $4,710 a month and $2,174 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Diego a good place for pipelayers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Diego area are 12% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.9), so the average $71,560 buys what about $63,957 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 13.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Pipelayers salary in other California cities
San Diego ranks 5th of 5 California metro areas for this job; Los Angeles pays the most ($81,010).
- Los Angeles$81,010
- Sacramento$79,690
- Riverside$75,970
- Oxnard$73,660
- San Diego$71,560
Highest-paying cities for pipelayers
Madison, WI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,050).
- Madison, WI$91,050
- Milwaukee, WI$90,340
- Minneapolis, MN$88,060
- Green Bay, WI$86,120
- Seattle, WA$84,530
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Pipelayers salary in San Diego: questions
How much do pipelayers make an hour in San Diego?
$34.40 an hour on average, and $31.14 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level pipelayers salary in San Diego?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $52,160 a year and the 25th percentile is $62,400, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the pipelayers take-home pay in San Diego?
About $56,520 a year ($4,710 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $71,560. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do pipelayers earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?
The average here is 30% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($55,010).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 47-2151; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.0%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.29, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.29).
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