Construction Laborers Salary in California
Construction Laborers in California earn a median $60,270 a year, +28% against the national median of $47,120; they and rank 5th of 51 states by median. Construction Laborers earn 3% more than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). California pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon, Nevada and Arizona range from $46,590 in Arizona to $50,860 in Oregon. California employs 88,240 construction laborers, 4.84 per 1,000 jobs, the 2nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.69 means it is less common in California than nationally.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 5th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 2nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.69
- Jobs per 1,000
- 4.85
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for construction laborers, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $34.91 | $72,610 | $48,440 | $102,450 | 11,620 | 4.90 | 0.69 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $32.92 | $68,470 | $46,470 | $94,370 | 4,420 | 3.89 | 0.55 |
| Vallejo, CA | $30.05 | $62,500 | $45,160 | $92,160 | 1,080 | 7.52 | 1.07 |
| Salinas, CA | $29.65 | $61,680 | $45,620 | $99,030 | 950 | 5.10 | 0.72 |
| Modesto, CA | $29.15 | $60,630 | $39,380 | $81,840 | 1,070 | 5.47 | 0.78 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $29.11 | $60,560 | $40,240 | $91,530 | 7,390 | 6.84 | 0.97 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $28.98 | $60,270 | $45,430 | $91,380 | 1,550 | 7.57 | 1.07 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $28.92 | $60,140 | $44,200 | $92,190 | 1,030 | 8.45 | 1.20 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $28.79 | $59,870 | $38,030 | $95,120 | 100 | 2.09 | 0.30 |
| Napa, CA | $28.75 | $59,800 | $40,230 | $90,780 | 540 | 6.91 | 0.98 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $28.61 | $59,500 | $38,690 | $96,080 | 12,120 | 7.06 | 1.00 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $28.34 | $58,950 | $41,000 | $94,140 | 1,790 | 5.54 | 0.79 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $28.28 | $58,810 | $39,680 | $91,490 | 21,730 | 3.47 | 0.49 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $28.13 | $58,500 | $45,160 | $81,750 | 520 | 5.24 | 0.74 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $27.62 | $57,450 | $38,520 | $88,050 | 1,470 | 5.07 | 0.72 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $27.49 | $57,180 | $39,600 | $86,000 | 8,850 | 5.75 | 0.82 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $26.99 | $56,140 | $40,510 | $91,010 | 1,150 | 5.74 | 0.81 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $26.83 | $55,800 | $38,310 | $90,750 | 1,480 | 4.36 | 0.62 |
| Redding, CA | $26.82 | $55,790 | $39,600 | $84,780 | 500 | 6.97 | 0.99 |
| Fresno, CA | $26.50 | $55,120 | $37,940 | $84,810 | 2,660 | 5.59 | 0.79 |
| Chico, CA | $26.31 | $54,720 | $40,570 | $81,190 | 480 | 6.14 | 0.87 |
| Merced, CA | $26.17 | $54,440 | $37,780 | $99,290 | 380 | 4.81 | 0.68 |
| El Centro, CA | $25.75 | $53,560 | $38,380 | $74,090 | 270 | 4.14 | 0.59 |
| Yuba City, CA | $23.18 | $48,210 | $40,100 | $80,050 | 290 | 5.73 | 0.81 |
| Visalia, CA | $22.93 | $47,700 | $37,070 | $77,080 | 740 | 4.30 | 0.61 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $31.18 | $64,850 | $43,600 | $86,760 | 960 | 8.73 | 1.24 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $28.96 | $60,230 | $46,850 | $87,460 | 540 | 8.63 | 1.22 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $27.91 | $58,050 | $40,540 | $84,420 | 900 | 8.64 | 1.23 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Construction Laborers (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
- 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.