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Piping Engineer information

See California salary details

$81.9K

$136.7K

$260K

How much do piping engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for piping engineer in California is $136,747.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $101,700.00 and $158,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a piping engineer?

Piping engineers design and supervise the building of piping systems that transport gas, oil, water, or sewage. Job duties include surveying work sites and evaluating environmental stress, determining project scope and cost, drafting layout plans and blueprints, and selecting materials for pipes and components for the construction of piping systems. Piping engineers typically use Computer Assisted Design (CAD) software to draft blueprints. In addition to technical and drafting skills, they also need strong project management skills to run projects efficiently from start to finish.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a piping engineer, and why are they important?

To excel as a Piping Engineer, you typically need a degree in mechanical or chemical engineering, strong knowledge of piping design codes, and experience with project specifications. Proficiency in software such as AutoCAD, PDMS, or CAESAR II, along with familiarity with industry standards like ASME, is commonly required. Strong analytical thinking, teamwork, and effective communication skills help engineers collaborate on complex projects and solve design challenges. These skills are essential to ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective piping systems in industrial environments.

What are the most common challenges faced by piping engineers during large-scale industrial projects?

Piping Engineers often encounter challenges such as coordinating with multiple disciplines (like structural, process, and instrumentation teams), managing changes in project scope, and ensuring compliance with safety and industry standards. Tight project timelines and working with complex 3D modeling software can also pose difficulties, especially when integrating new designs with existing infrastructure. Effective communication and problem-solving skills are essential to address these challenges and deliver successful project outcomes.

What is the difference between Piping Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer?

AspectPiping EngineerMechanical Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's in Mechanical/Civil Engineering, certifications like ASME or APIBachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, similar certifications
Work EnvironmentOil & gas, petrochemical, power plants, construction sitesManufacturing, automotive, aerospace, industrial facilities
Job FocusDesign, analysis, and maintenance of piping systemsDesign, analysis, and maintenance of mechanical systems and equipment

While both roles require engineering degrees and similar certifications, Piping Engineers specialize in piping systems within industries like oil and gas, whereas Mechanical Engineers have a broader focus on mechanical systems across various sectors. The choice depends on your specific interest in piping versus general mechanical design.

Is a piping engineer a good career?

A piping engineer is a skilled professional responsible for designing, installing, and maintaining piping systems in industries such as oil and gas, chemical, and power plants. The role offers good job prospects, competitive salaries, and opportunities for advancement, especially with relevant certifications and technical expertise. It requires strong knowledge of engineering principles, materials, and safety standards.
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Piping Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Piping Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 95% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 6% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $136,747 per year, or $65.7 per hour.

Senior Piping Engineer (Power Generation / Gas-to-Power)

Candid Intelligence

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$100K - $250K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO

Re-posted 18 days ago

Job description

What We're Building
Candid is building the AI layer for EPCs.
We use AI to reduce the manual effort behind preconstruction engineering by automating document understanding, consistency checks, and repetitive workflow steps across major disciplines. Our goal is to make preconstruction 10x faster without sacrificing engineering quality.
We recently raised $6.5M from top AI and industrial investors (including Schneider Electric and Meta's Chief AI Scientist). Our team includes engineers from MIT, Carnegie Mellon, major LNG and power projects, and leading EPCs.
This Role
We're hiring a senior piping engineer who has actually delivered power generation and gas-to-power projects at a top EPC, PMC, or owner-operator. Think combined cycle, simple cycle and peakers, gas-to-power for data centers and behind-the-meter campuses, LNG, and cogeneration, with the high-energy steam cycle and balance of plant piping that goes with them. If your career has been refining or petrochem process piping with no power work, this isn't the right fit.
This is a hands-on role. You'll do real piping engineering on our delivery work for the parts our software can't handle yet, you'll be the quality check on what the software does produce, and you'll shape where the product goes next. Three jobs in one, and the mix shifts as the product gets better.
What You'll Do
This is hands-on engineering plus product. Day to day you'll:
  • Do real piping engineering on our FEL-2 and early-phase delivery work, owning the parts our software can't handle yet so projects ship
  • Be the quality gate on Candid's automated piping outputs: catch what's wrong before it reaches a client, and feed it back so the product gets sharper
  • Define how piping information gets developed and validated through FEED and early detailed design on power and gas-to-power projects, and what "good" looks like
  • Review and validate piping content across P&IDs, line lists, piping specs, and tie-in lists
  • Build repeatable checks that catch tagging, completeness, and consistency issues early
  • Map where piping rework happens, why it happens, and what inputs drive it
  • Clarify interface points with Process, Mechanical, I&C, Electrical, and Civil/Structural (pipe racks and supports)
  • Separate the steps that are genuinely repetitive from the ones that need real engineering judgment

You'll help define the checks, workflows, and product requirements that let software take on the repetitive parts, with engineers in control.
What We're Looking For
  • 7+ years at a large scale EPC, PMC, or owner-operator, with most of it on power generation or gas-to-power
  • Direct experience on combined cycle, simple cycle, gas-to-power, LNG, or cogeneration projects (not refining or petrochem only)
  • You've personally owned line list and piping spec development through FEED
  • Strong on power plant piping: high-energy steam cycle (main steam, hot and cold reheat, feedwater), plus fuel gas, condensate, cooling water, and balance of plant piping
  • Hands-on with ASME B31.1 (power piping) and B31.3 (process piping)
  • Familiarity with pipe stress analysis and stress-critical line identification (CAESAR II or similar)
  • Experience with plot plan and 3D model driven layout (AVEVA E3D / PDMS, SmartPlant 3D, or similar)
  • You spot inconsistencies across P&IDs, line lists, and vendor packages fast
  • Clear understanding of cross-discipline dependencies
  • You've felt boxed in by big-company process and you want out
  • Comfortable with ambiguity and wearing multiple hats; bias to action over waiting for perfect

Nice to Have
  • Discipline lead or technical authority experience
  • Work on data center or behind-the-meter power campuses
  • High-energy piping materials and metallurgy (P91, P22 chrome-moly), or pipe support and spring hanger design
  • Brownfield tie-ins and constructability constraints
  • Real interest in AI and automation

Who Thrives Here
You've outgrown the big-firm machine. You're tired of waiting three weeks for a markup to clear four layers of review, and tired of watching good work die in a stage gate. You want to own your scope end to end, see what you build actually ship, and have a direct line to the founders and the product instead of a 12-person approval chain.
At Candid you'll wear several hats and there's no playbook handing you a defined lane. If that sounds like freedom, you'll love it here. If it sounds like chaos, you won't, and that's okay.
Perks
  • Meaningful base + equity
  • Unlimited PTO. Great work needs recharging.
  • Health insurance covering medical, dental, and vision
  • Up to $150/mo health and wellness reimbursement (gym, fitness classes, and similar)

Apply