Construction Laborers
Construction Laborers (SOC 47-2061) earn a median $47,120 a year ($22.66 an hour) in the United States, with 1,096,780 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Hawaii.
What construction laborers do
Construction laborers do the physical work at construction sites. Typical tasks include cleaning and preparing sites to remove hazards, digging trenches, backfilling and compacting earth, setting braces to support the sides of excavations, erecting scaffolding, loading and unloading materials, and signaling equipment operators during lifts. They may operate hand and power tools such as air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers and small hoists. They read plans or instructions to learn what is wanted, and measure and mark openings or distances to lay out areas where work will be done. Pumps, compressors and generators are tended by laborers, who also lubricate, clean and repair tools and machinery. A laborer who mainly assists one craft worker is classified as a helper in the construction trades (47-3010) instead, and hazardous materials removal workers (47-4041) are excluded and have their own code.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or the equivalent as the education needed.
Also called: Air Breaker Operator, Air Drill Operator, Air Gun Operator, Air Hammer Operator, Air Tool Operator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.87 | $18.57 | $22.66 | $28.72 | $37.54 | $25.02 | 1,096,780 |
| Annual | $35,090 | $38,620 | $47,120 | $59,740 | $78,090 | $52,030 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where construction laborers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $21.15 | $25.13 | $37.07 | $42.19 | $46.39 | $34.39 | 4,580 | 7.29 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $43,990 | $52,270 | $77,110 | $87,750 | $96,490 | $71,520 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $18.26 | $22.46 | $30.80 | $45.44 | $51.03 | $33.84 | 23,590 | 5.51 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $37,980 | $46,710 | $64,060 | $94,510 | $106,140 | $70,400 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $21.72 | $25.16 | $30.48 | $42.46 | $47.54 | $34.05 | 16,210 | 4.46 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $45,170 | $52,330 | $63,390 | $88,330 | $98,880 | $70,830 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $18.69 | $22.14 | $29.18 | $45.79 | $50.50 | $32.51 | 35,940 | 5.89 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $38,880 | $46,040 | $60,690 | $95,240 | $105,040 | $67,620 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $19.69 | $23.15 | $28.98 | $37.75 | $45.01 | $31.19 | 88,240 | 4.85 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $40,950 | $48,140 | $60,270 | $78,520 | $93,620 | $64,870 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $15.65 | $17.66 | $19.53 | $22.57 | $27.37 | $20.63 | 123,250 | 8.76 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $32,560 | $36,730 | $40,620 | $46,950 | $56,930 | $42,910 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $19.69 | $23.15 | $28.98 | $37.75 | $45.01 | $31.19 | 88,240 | 4.85 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $40,950 | $48,140 | $60,270 | $78,520 | $93,620 | $64,870 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $16.00 | $17.83 | $21.17 | $23.06 | $28.32 | $21.42 | 87,040 | 8.77 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $33,280 | $37,090 | $44,030 | $47,970 | $58,900 | $44,550 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.50 | $21.13 | $26.89 | $38.18 | $46.44 | $29.89 | 52,090 | 5.38 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $43,950 | $55,930 | $79,420 | $96,590 | $62,180 | ||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $17.68 | $19.04 | $22.40 | $24.82 | $29.29 | $23.03 | 37,630 | 11.62 | 1.65 |
| Annual | $36,770 | $39,610 | $46,590 | $51,620 | $60,930 | $47,910 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Vineland, NJ | Hourly | $17.50 | $23.01 | $40.23 | $46.68 | $46.68 | $35.67 | 440 | 7.07 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $36,400 | $47,850 | $83,680 | $97,100 | $97,100 | $74,200 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $23.88 | $28.72 | $38.35 | $47.03 | $48.89 | $37.79 | 630 | 8.61 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $49,660 | $59,730 | $79,760 | $97,820 | $101,680 | $78,590 | ||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $19.28 | $24.21 | $37.48 | $41.41 | $44.98 | $33.71 | 3,040 | 6.81 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $40,100 | $50,350 | $77,960 | $86,130 | $93,560 | $70,120 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $23.29 | $28.03 | $34.91 | $40.50 | $49.26 | $35.40 | 11,620 | 4.90 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $48,440 | $58,310 | $72,610 | $84,240 | $102,450 | $73,640 | ||||
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | Hourly | $18.37 | $23.43 | $34.58 | $51.14 | $51.14 | $35.14 | 960 | 4.01 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $38,200 | $48,730 | $71,920 | $106,370 | $106,370 | $73,100 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.50 | $21.85 | $29.46 | $44.40 | $50.14 | $32.42 | 50,870 | 5.36 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $45,450 | $61,270 | $92,350 | $104,280 | $67,440 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $16.77 | $17.82 | $19.88 | $22.88 | $28.04 | $21.08 | 34,080 | 10.36 | 1.47 |
| Annual | $34,880 | $37,070 | $41,350 | $47,590 | $58,310 | $43,850 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $17.06 | $18.19 | $21.14 | $22.79 | $27.38 | $21.05 | 29,670 | 7.33 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $35,480 | $37,840 | $43,960 | $47,400 | $56,940 | $43,780 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $17.68 | $19.79 | $22.56 | $24.90 | $29.93 | $23.40 | 29,230 | 12.30 | 1.74 |
| Annual | $36,770 | $41,160 | $46,910 | $51,800 | $62,250 | $48,670 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $18.80 | $22.25 | $29.27 | $48.44 | $50.72 | $33.26 | 26,690 | 5.91 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $39,100 | $46,290 | $60,890 | $100,750 | $105,500 | $69,180 | ||||
Top industries employing construction laborers
Other Specialty Trade Contractors employ 17.0% of construction laborers nationally (186,050 jobs) at a median $47,410 a year ($22.79 an hour), followed by Residential Building Construction (14.0%) and Utility System Construction (11.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors NAICS 238900 | 186,050 | 17.0% | $47,410 | $22.79 |
| Residential Building Construction NAICS 236100 | 153,150 | 14.0% | $46,550 | $22.38 |
| Utility System Construction NAICS 237100 | 128,900 | 11.8% | $46,740 | $22.47 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS 236200 | 118,700 | 10.8% | $49,940 | $24.01 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors NAICS 238100 | 114,160 | 10.4% | $47,070 | $22.63 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (1,096,780). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,770 for construction laborers in May 2021 and $47,120 in May 2025, with employment of 968,760 and 1,096,780.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,770 | $18.16 | 968,760 |
| May 2022 | $40,750 | $19.59 | 1,012,780 |
| May 2023 | $45,300 | $21.78 | 1,019,090 |
| May 2024 | $46,730 | $22.47 | 1,057,660 |
| May 2025 | $47,120 | $22.66 | 1,096,780 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii profile | $37.07 | $77,110 | $43,990 | $96,490 | 4,580 | 7.29 | 1.03 |
| 2 | New Jersey profile | $30.80 | $64,060 | $37,980 | $106,140 | 23,590 | 5.51 | 0.78 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $30.48 | $63,390 | $45,170 | $98,880 | 16,210 | 4.46 | 0.63 |
| 4 | Illinois profile | $29.18 | $60,690 | $38,880 | $105,040 | 35,940 | 5.89 | 0.84 |
| 5 | California profile | $28.98 | $60,270 | $40,950 | $93,620 | 88,240 | 4.85 | 0.69 |
| 6 | Minnesota profile | $28.97 | $60,260 | $42,950 | $96,150 | 28,530 | 9.67 | 1.37 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | $28.03 | $58,290 | $42,580 | $76,520 | 7,360 | 4.34 | 0.62 |
| 8 | Alaska profile | $27.91 | $58,060 | $37,980 | $83,710 | 3,690 | 11.33 | 1.61 |
| 9 | Washington profile | $27.75 | $57,720 | $39,930 | $95,110 | 25,060 | 7.06 | 1.00 |
| 10 | Rhode Island profile | $27.52 | $57,240 | $39,480 | $88,620 | 2,110 | 4.21 | 0.60 |
| 11 | Missouri profile | $27.28 | $56,730 | $37,870 | $83,470 | 17,050 | 5.81 | 0.82 |
| 12 | Wisconsin profile | $26.97 | $56,100 | $37,990 | $80,920 | 20,330 | 6.91 | 0.98 |
| 13 | Ohio profile | $26.96 | $56,080 | $37,370 | $79,110 | 31,910 | 5.75 | 0.82 |
| 14 | New York profile | $26.89 | $55,930 | $34,320 | $96,590 | 52,090 | 5.38 | 0.76 |
| 15 | Oregon profile | $24.45 | $50,860 | $39,210 | $78,410 | 12,620 | 6.42 | 0.91 |
| 16 | Indiana profile | $24.07 | $50,070 | $36,570 | $74,740 | 28,600 | 8.93 | 1.27 |
| 17 | District of Columbia profile | $24.05 | $50,020 | $37,190 | $72,320 | 2,090 | 2.98 | 0.42 |
| 18 | New Hampshire profile | $24.03 | $49,980 | $38,020 | $63,310 | 4,330 | 6.33 | 0.90 |
| 19 | Montana profile | $23.96 | $49,830 | $37,720 | $63,980 | 4,590 | 8.97 | 1.27 |
| 20 | Michigan profile | $23.84 | $49,590 | $37,220 | $69,890 | 28,490 | 6.47 | 0.92 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania profile | $23.75 | $49,400 | $37,480 | $74,670 | 35,920 | 5.92 | 0.84 |
| 22 | North Dakota profile | $23.59 | $49,070 | $38,990 | $71,210 | 5,050 | 11.76 | 1.67 |
| 23 | Nevada profile | $23.55 | $48,990 | $36,400 | $76,660 | 11,890 | 7.66 | 1.09 |
| 24 | Vermont profile | $23.36 | $48,580 | $39,130 | $61,710 | 1,430 | 4.69 | 0.67 |
| 25 | Iowa profile | $23.31 | $48,490 | $38,180 | $68,900 | 13,780 | 8.84 | 1.25 |
| 26 | Colorado profile | $23.03 | $47,900 | $38,410 | $62,010 | 18,680 | 6.50 | 0.92 |
| 27 | Nebraska profile | $22.72 | $47,260 | $36,400 | $61,780 | 8,530 | 8.32 | 1.18 |
| 28 | Maryland profile | $22.58 | $46,960 | $36,430 | $61,670 | 20,920 | 7.57 | 1.07 |
| 29 | Idaho profile | $22.57 | $46,940 | $36,560 | $63,190 | 10,850 | 12.65 | 1.79 |
| 30 | Arizona profile | $22.40 | $46,590 | $36,770 | $60,930 | 37,630 | 11.62 | 1.65 |
| 31 | Utah profile | $22.38 | $46,550 | $34,890 | $63,310 | 20,950 | 12.07 | 1.71 |
| 32 | Maine profile | $22.32 | $46,430 | $36,190 | $60,520 | 3,960 | 6.18 | 0.88 |
| 33 | Wyoming profile | $22.13 | $46,030 | $35,640 | $57,590 | 3,350 | 11.94 | 1.69 |
| 34 | Kentucky profile | $21.98 | $45,710 | $33,770 | $60,200 | 13,280 | 6.64 | 0.94 |
| 35 | South Dakota profile | $21.98 | $45,710 | $35,180 | $52,350 | 1,780 | 3.89 | 0.55 |
| 36 | Delaware profile | $21.90 | $45,550 | $33,240 | $63,730 | 3,240 | 6.69 | 0.95 |
| 37 | Tennessee profile | $21.64 | $45,000 | $34,910 | $59,990 | 26,250 | 8.01 | 1.14 |
| 38 | Kansas profile | $21.56 | $44,840 | $31,500 | $60,070 | 9,990 | 6.95 | 0.99 |
| 39 | North Carolina profile | $21.50 | $44,720 | $31,850 | $59,970 | 35,620 | 7.21 | 1.02 |
| 40 | Florida profile | $21.17 | $44,030 | $33,280 | $58,900 | 87,040 | 8.77 | 1.24 |
| 41 | Virginia profile | $20.94 | $43,560 | $32,900 | $57,110 | 25,830 | 6.29 | 0.89 |
| 42 | South Carolina profile | $20.65 | $42,940 | $31,200 | $63,370 | 19,620 | 8.51 | 1.21 |
| 43 | West Virginia profile | $20.51 | $42,670 | $30,770 | $60,550 | 6,620 | 9.43 | 1.34 |
| 44 | Texas profile | $19.53 | $40,620 | $32,560 | $56,930 | 123,250 | 8.76 | 1.24 |
| 45 | Oklahoma profile | $18.92 | $39,360 | $33,490 | $58,070 | 13,710 | 8.03 | 1.14 |
| 46 | Georgia profile | $18.74 | $38,990 | $27,880 | $56,450 | 27,800 | 5.69 | 0.81 |
| 47 | New Mexico profile | $18.46 | $38,400 | $30,840 | $53,590 | 12,470 | 14.32 | 2.03 |
| 48 | Louisiana profile | $18.38 | $38,230 | $29,650 | $60,090 | 22,100 | 11.42 | 1.62 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $18.13 | $37,710 | $29,370 | $52,640 | 8,800 | 7.57 | 1.07 |
| 50 | Arkansas profile | $18.09 | $37,630 | $30,850 | $48,410 | 10,650 | 8.17 | 1.16 |
| 51 | Alabama profile | $17.74 | $36,900 | $23,980 | $49,740 | 18,400 | 8.71 | 1.23 |
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-2061 Construction Laborers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-2061, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-2061.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.