Construction Laborers Salary in Kentucky
Construction Laborers in Kentucky have a median of $45,710 a year, below the national $47,120 (−3%); the state ranks 34th of 51 states by median. That is 3% less than the median across all occupations in Kentucky ($46,920). Among neighbouring states, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio and Indiana pay more (up to $60,690 in Illinois) and Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia pay less (down to $42,670 in West Virginia). Kentucky employs 13,280 construction laborers, 6.64 per 1,000 jobs, the 29th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.94 is close to the national share.
Kentucky vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | $16.23 | $18.13 | $21.98 | $24.06 | $28.94 | $22.04 | 13,280 | 6.64 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $33,770 | $37,700 | $45,710 | $50,040 | $60,200 | $45,840 | ||||
| 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
- 34th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 29th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.94
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.64
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Kentucky'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 Kentucky
9 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Kentucky 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $26.41 | $54,930 | $37,810 | $78,200 | 5,700 | 5.18 | 0.73 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $22.80 | $47,420 | $36,560 | $64,970 | 4,600 | 6.72 | 0.95 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $22.53 | $46,850 | $34,110 | $56,990 | 590 | 11.82 | 1.68 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $22.26 | $46,300 | $35,170 | $61,110 | 1,810 | 6.32 | 0.90 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $21.72 | $45,170 | $30,690 | $66,990 | 1,580 | 11.26 | 1.60 |
| Owensboro, KY | $21.04 | $43,760 | $30,830 | $59,630 | 340 | 6.88 | 0.98 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | $20.17 | $41,950 | $32,650 | $55,900 | 620 | 6.05 | 0.86 |
| Bowling Green, KY | $20.13 | $41,880 | $29,850 | $50,050 | 840 | 10.20 | 1.45 |
| Elizabethtown, KY | $18.63 | $38,740 | $30,820 | $53,260 | 220 | 4.29 | 0.61 |
| West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $21.82 | $45,390 | $31,660 | $58,790 | 1,200 | 9.32 | 1.32 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $21.27 | $44,250 | $31,660 | $58,330 | 1,080 | 6.29 | 0.89 |
| East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $21.20 | $44,090 | $30,060 | $58,120 | 510 | 5.53 | 0.78 |
| Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $21.09 | $43,860 | $32,860 | $57,270 | 1,440 | 8.36 | 1.19 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $21.98 | $45,710 | 13,280 | 0.94 |
| Illinois | $29.18 | $60,690 | 35,940 | 0.84 |
| Indiana | $24.07 | $50,070 | 28,600 | 1.27 |
| Missouri | $27.28 | $56,730 | 17,050 | 0.82 |
| Ohio | $26.96 | $56,080 | 31,910 | 0.82 |
| Tennessee | $21.64 | $45,000 | 26,250 | 1.14 |
| Virginia | $20.94 | $43,560 | 25,830 | 0.89 |
| West Virginia | $20.51 | $42,670 | 6,620 | 1.34 |
See the national page for Construction Laborers (every state ranked) and the Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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.