Construction Laborers Salary in North Carolina
Construction Laborers in North Carolina have a median of $44,720 a year, below the national $47,120 (−5%); the state ranks 39th of 51 states by median. That is 7% less than the median across all occupations in North Carolina ($47,970). Among neighbouring states, Tennessee pays more (up to $45,000 in Tennessee) and Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia pay less (down to $38,990 in Georgia). North Carolina employs 35,620 construction laborers, 7.21 per 1,000 jobs, the 8th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.02 is close to the national share.
North Carolina vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $15.31 | $17.97 | $21.50 | $23.59 | $28.83 | $21.76 | 35,620 | 7.21 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $31,850 | $37,380 | $44,720 | $49,070 | $59,970 | $45,250 | ||||
| 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
- 39th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 8th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.02
- Jobs per 1,000
- 7.21
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of North Carolina'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 North Carolina
16 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching North Carolina 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville, NC | $22.85 | $47,520 | $34,800 | $61,270 | 1,340 | 7.43 | 1.05 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $22.38 | $46,560 | $36,710 | $59,560 | 1,120 | 3.25 | 0.46 |
| Wilmington, NC | $22.16 | $46,090 | $33,750 | $66,700 | 1,870 | 9.77 | 1.39 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $22.07 | $45,900 | $35,200 | $58,070 | 240 | 5.66 | 0.80 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $22.04 | $45,850 | $29,730 | $61,990 | 10,840 | 7.98 | 1.13 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $21.95 | $45,650 | $35,880 | $59,860 | 6,360 | 8.56 | 1.21 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $21.42 | $44,550 | $30,160 | $63,250 | 800 | 5.17 | 0.73 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $21.03 | $43,740 | $32,900 | $59,740 | 600 | 4.59 | 0.65 |
| Greenville, NC | $20.40 | $42,420 | $32,900 | $59,810 | 450 | 5.62 | 0.80 |
| Burlington, NC | $20.35 | $42,320 | $30,700 | $57,130 | 400 | 5.88 | 0.83 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $20.29 | $42,210 | $33,900 | $60,720 | 2,000 | 7.37 | 1.04 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $19.28 | $40,100 | $30,410 | $57,900 | 2,190 | 5.99 | 0.85 |
| Jacksonville, NC | $19.15 | $39,830 | $30,560 | $58,160 | 390 | 7.36 | 1.04 |
| Goldsboro, NC | $18.91 | $39,330 | $35,090 | $58,600 | 490 | 12.04 | 1.71 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $18.51 | $38,490 | $30,580 | $49,360 | 5,660 | 7.42 | 1.05 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $18.32 | $38,100 | $30,330 | $56,700 | 340 | 6.30 | 0.89 |
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $20.55 | $42,740 | $32,900 | $57,530 | 2,320 | 9.15 | 1.30 |
| Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $18.82 | $39,140 | $32,000 | $56,610 | 1,560 | 6.56 | 0.93 |
| Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $18.80 | $39,110 | $29,900 | $59,840 | 1,960 | 7.39 | 1.05 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $21.50 | $44,720 | 35,620 | 1.02 |
| Georgia | $18.74 | $38,990 | 27,800 | 0.81 |
| South Carolina | $20.65 | $42,940 | 19,620 | 1.21 |
| Tennessee | $21.64 | $45,000 | 26,250 | 1.14 |
| Virginia | $20.94 | $43,560 | 25,830 | 0.89 |
See the national page for Construction Laborers (every state ranked) and the North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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.