Construction Laborers Salary in Pennsylvania
The median for construction laborers in Pennsylvania is $49,400 a year, somewhat above the national $47,120 (+5%); the state ranks 21st of 51 states by median. That is about the same as the median across all occupations in Pennsylvania ($49,690). Among neighbouring states, New Jersey, Ohio and New York pay more (up to $64,060 in New Jersey) and Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia pay less (down to $42,670 in West Virginia). Pennsylvania employs 35,920 construction laborers, 5.92 per 1,000 jobs, the 7th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.84 is close to the national share.
Pennsylvania vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $18.02 | $21.69 | $23.75 | $29.72 | $35.90 | $26.12 | 35,920 | 5.92 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $37,480 | $45,110 | $49,400 | $61,810 | $74,670 | $54,330 | ||||
| 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
- 21st of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 7th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.84
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.92
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania
16 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $26.50 | $55,120 | $38,390 | $83,200 | 14,580 | 5.03 | 0.71 |
| State College, PA | $25.68 | $53,420 | $37,990 | $71,300 | 620 | 9.04 | 1.28 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $24.33 | $50,600 | $37,390 | $71,850 | 8,620 | 7.74 | 1.10 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $23.88 | $49,670 | $37,920 | $69,640 | 1,370 | 4.10 | 0.58 |
| York-Hanover, PA | $23.72 | $49,350 | $38,420 | $72,110 | 1,250 | 6.79 | 0.96 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $23.70 | $49,290 | $37,620 | $75,320 | 1,670 | 4.44 | 0.63 |
| Reading, PA | $23.46 | $48,800 | $37,810 | $71,300 | 990 | 5.65 | 0.80 |
| Lancaster, PA | $23.40 | $48,670 | $37,940 | $66,570 | 2,270 | 8.98 | 1.27 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $23.22 | $48,290 | $37,330 | $73,170 | 1,450 | 5.66 | 0.80 |
| Gettysburg, PA | $23.08 | $48,010 | $36,250 | $60,810 | 240 | 7.50 | 1.06 |
| Lebanon, PA | $22.85 | $47,530 | $35,760 | $61,510 | 240 | 4.42 | 0.63 |
| Chambersburg, PA | $22.53 | $46,860 | $37,480 | $60,070 | 440 | 7.33 | 1.04 |
| Erie, PA | $22.35 | $46,480 | $35,450 | $63,140 | 540 | 4.49 | 0.64 |
| Williamsport, PA | $22.29 | $46,360 | $36,620 | $65,710 | 250 | 5.12 | 0.73 |
| Altoona, PA | $22.03 | $45,820 | $35,610 | $60,370 | 350 | 6.02 | 0.85 |
| Johnstown, PA | $21.79 | $45,320 | $35,280 | $69,110 | 210 | 4.33 | 0.61 |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $22.50 | $46,810 | $35,350 | $64,570 | 840 | 5.66 | 0.80 |
| Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $22.38 | $46,550 | $35,730 | $67,150 | 1,240 | 8.85 | 1.26 |
| Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $22.00 | $45,760 | $36,410 | $60,830 | 1,260 | 6.71 | 0.95 |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $21.88 | $45,520 | $33,410 | $63,430 | 1,070 | 8.30 | 1.18 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $23.75 | $49,400 | 35,920 | 0.84 |
| Delaware | $21.90 | $45,550 | 3,240 | 0.95 |
| Maryland | $22.58 | $46,960 | 20,920 | 1.07 |
| New Jersey | $30.80 | $64,060 | 23,590 | 0.78 |
| New York | $26.89 | $55,930 | 52,090 | 0.76 |
| Ohio | $26.96 | $56,080 | 31,910 | 0.82 |
| West Virginia | $20.51 | $42,670 | 6,620 | 1.34 |
See the national page for Construction Laborers (every state ranked) and the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.