pipe welder
Pipe welders assemble and install parts and components of pipelines for the transport of goods such as water, steam and chemicals through them. They interpret specs such as pneumatics, hydraulics, for installation on site according to the safety and production requirements.
pipe welder pipe welders assemble and install parts and components of pipelines for the transport of goods such as water, steam and chemicals through them. The role shows low AI exposure (0.30 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include technical drawings, hydraulics, pipeline coating properties, types of pipelines, isometric perspective.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £35,344 a year for Welding trades (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £29,783 to £44,176 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5213). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only pipe welder, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Building and Construction
- Mechanical
- Design
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Engineering and Technology
- Public Safety and Security
What you'd actually do
- Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.
- Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.
- Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
- Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
- Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.
- Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does pipe welder do?
Pipe welders assemble and install parts and components of pipelines for the transport of goods such as water, steam and chemicals through them. They interpret specs such as pneumatics, hydraulics, for installation on site according to the safety and production requirements.
What skills does pipe welder need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include technical drawings, hydraulics, pipeline coating properties, types of pipelines, isometric perspective, cooperate with colleagues. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace pipe welder?
Our AI-durability model gives pipe welder a score of 0.30 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.