How much do Pipelayers make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

Percentile spread

For Pipelayers, the published 10th percentile is $37,020 and the 90th percentile is $62,140. The difference is $25,120, which is 52.5% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $42,650 to the 75th at $57,520, covers $14,870.

The mean annual wage is $49,020, which sits above the median of $47,820. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC median is 2.4% lower than the national median of $49,000 for Pipelayers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $48,825, which is 0.4% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 1.8% lower than the Virginia median of $48,700.

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC covers more than one state. The state comparison uses Virginia, the primary state on the BLS area record.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC is 97.941, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $47,820 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Pipelayers at $48,825 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

14 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Pipelayers. Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC ranks 7th of 15 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Richmond, VA is 70 miles away, with a median of $48,700 and employment of 240. That median is 1.8% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $49,766, against $48,825 here.
• Rocky Mount, NC is 100 miles away, with a median of $43,230 and employment of 50. That median is 9.6% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $49,118, against $48,825 here.
• Lexington Park, MD is 102 miles away, with a median of $59,340 and employment of 30. That median is 24.1% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $58,892, against $48,825 here.

Employment share

Pipelayers accounts for 0.03% of wage-and-salary employment in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC (260 of 763,060). Nationally the occupation is 0.02% of employment (33,050 of 155,495,730). The local share is 1.60 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.