Talk to your school counselor about programs and classes like woodworking that are offered at your school so you can start learning skills that will get you started in this field.

Find a class to jump-start your construction skills.

Welding is a valuable skill in many industries. Gain hands-on training by taking a class at your school or in your community. If you're not sure where to start, try your local community college!

Take a welding class.

Search online for how-to videos to see how hard this work is to master--and whether it's something you think you'd like. Does seeing this kind of work in action make you more interested in trying it?

Watch tutorials on how to do this kind of work.

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.

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Realistic

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Conventional

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

Investigative

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Social

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Enterprising

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.

Artistic

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Construction and Extraction Occupations

Construction Trades Workers

Install or use instruments such as lasers, grade rods, or transit levels.

Connect pipe pieces and seal joints, using welding equipment, cement, or glue.

Cover pipes with earth or other materials.

Install or repair sanitary or stormwater sewer structures or pipe systems.

Align and position pipes to prepare them for welding or sealing.

Check slopes for conformance to requirements, using levels or lasers.

Lay out pipe routes, following written instructions or blueprints and coordinating layouts with supervisors.

Operate mechanized equipment, such as pickup trucks, rollers, tandem dump trucks, front-end loaders, or backhoes.

Grade or level trench bases, using tamping machines or hand tools.

Pipelayers

Overview

Career

What Pipelayers Do

Other Job Titles Pipelayers May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Pipelayers

Overview

Career

What Pipelayers Do

Other Job Titles Pipelayers May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Pipelayers

Related Careers

Related Leaders