How To Become A Lead Piping Designer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lead piping designer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Abby Guido

A lead piping designer is an individual responsible for creating designs for piping systems according to project specifications. The industries that they usually work for include construction, marine transport, as well as oil and gas.

A lead piping designer must create piping systems that can transport water, sewage, oil, gas, and other substances safely and efficiently through a building, vehicle, or some other structure. To do this, they must have a high level of knowledge and experience in the industry, as well as a good sense of leadership and problem-solving.

To become a lead piping designer, the first thing that you must have is a degree in draft and design, mechanical engineering, or other related fields. Then, you must gain enough experience within your industry of employment to attain a leadership role, which can take anywhere from three to six years on average.

Furthermore, you must possess exemplary skills in communication, organization, people management, and analysis to become successful at your job.

What general advice would you give to a lead piping designer?

Abby Guido

Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University

We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.

Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.

ScoreLead Piping DesignerUS Average

Salary

7.9

Avg. Salary $111,648

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.11%

Asian 10.34%

Black or African American 3.39%

Hispanic or Latino 9.25%

Unknown 4.59%

White 72.32%

Gender

female 6.38%

male 93.62%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lead piping designer

Explore lead piping designer education requirements

Most common lead piping designer degrees

Associate

50.2 %

Bachelor's

21.4 %

High School Diploma

11.8 %

Start to develop specific lead piping designer skills

Skills	Percentages
Autocad	13.36%
Equipment Layout	10.45%
P Id	5.99%
Refinery	5.97%
Navisworks	4.94%

Complete relevant lead piping designer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead piping designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead piping designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead piping designer resumes.

Research lead piping designer duties and responsibilities

Manage and maintain CADWorx databases, verify data accuracy, and create reports and queries.
Provide client 3D progress presentations using Navisworks.
Initiate and complete final existing piping modifications (PRM) for new rack support installations throughout MPC refinery.
Serve as direct liaison between refinery personnel and WorleyParsons management.

Get lead piping designer experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a lead piping designer. The most common roles before becoming a lead piping designer include senior piping designer, piping designer team lead and piping/mechanical designer.

Prepare your lead piping designer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead piping designer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead piping designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable lead piping designer resume templates

Build a professional lead piping designer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your lead piping designer resume.

Apply for lead piping designer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a lead piping designer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do lead piping designers rate their job?

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Lead piping designer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Pros

I liked working in oil and gas at Chevron in Pascagoula, MS. I worked there right after finishing college. I drew flow sheets in isometric inserting valves. I'm wanting another pipe draftsman/designer job.