Hello Jeffrey, not a stupid question, but possibly a very complicated question to come up with an answer for. For starters there are a ton of different applications for pipe and many different grades and types of pipe, carbon steel, stainless steel, and other alloys. Much of this pipe is pre-fabbed, meaning that it is fit and welded in a shop environment with the final installation being completed in the field. Even though this pipe may be welded in the shop and a lot of this in-shop fabrication may be done with GMAW processes or FCAW gas-shielded processes or GTAW processes, there can still be a large amount of it being done with SMAW. When considering the field applications of SMAW on pipe there are equally as many reasons for using the SMAW process. Access and ready availability of welding equipment sometimes makes SMAW the first choice for making field welds. In the majority of maintenance pipe welding applications it is very likely that these repairs will either be made with the GTAW process or the SMAW process and if it is an either or choice, SMAW is likely the one to win out due to the difference in portability of the two. SMAW: welding power source, ground lead and clamp, hot lead and stinger, rod. GTAW: welding power source, ground lead and clamp, hot lead and GTAW torch and torch consumables, gas bottle, flowmeter or regulator and gas hose, rod. When bringing equipment to remote and difficult to access locations the choice for SMAW is an easy one providing it is suitable for the use or repair.
     Geographical locations can have an impact on the amounts of use of one particular welding process over another. Areas that are heavy industrial manufacturing centers are possibly less likely to use as much SMAW welding as those that are heavy into power generation, refinery, and chemical manufacturing/conversion systems where lots of piping application and piping transfer systems are employed.
     With this question I am going to make an assumption that you are possibly being requested to provide reasoning and support for offering pipe welding at the school that you are attending. A better approach if this is the question might be to contact local welding and fabrication shops and try to get an idea of the percentage of pipe welding that is being done in the area and by which process. Also, contacting your local plumbers,pipefitters, and steamfitters hall might be a good source for this type of information, the boilermakers hall might also have some input for you on this. I hope that others may have better information than I have given you here. As I said not a stupid question at all, possibly just a little bit difficult to answer fully and accurately. Best regards, Allan

       SMAW is still heavilly used on alloy piping in a fab shop dependent on customer requirements. Most field installations depend on stick welding or TIG (manual or automatic) or a combination of the 2. I can't remember the last job I was on that a rod wasn't being burnt on a piece of pipe in an industrial setting. On commercial jobs(chilled water/steam) the pipe is shop fabbed with MIG but 60%(a guestimate) of the remainder of the job is stick welded.

being humbled is the first step to becoming a great welder!  you have somebody who can show you how to weld right there in your backyard and second or third opinions are sometimes what you need to figure out how to weld.  every welder has their own style of accomplishing the same thing, and if you can actually see the different ways to manipulate the puddle, that would be to your advantage. 

as for your question, in my experience, 60% is SMAW, 30% FCAW, and 10% GTAW.  I work mostly in pipe welding, but also in some structural in the shipyard, tank farms, and water plants. 

when you get into power plant piping, paper mills, and refineries I would guess the percentages go to 40% SMAW, 20% FCAW, 40% GTAW. 

either way, SMAW is a staple in the welding trade.  it's like learning how to walk before you learn to ride a bike.