State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Construction Laborer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Construction Laborers is $47,120 a year ($22.66/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 7.3% through 2034, with about 129,400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 47-2061Construction and ExtractionLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $47,120
- Projected growth
- +7.3%
- Openings a year
- 129,400
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Bituminous Asphalt Technician, Construction Laborer, Construction Worker, Drop Crew Laborer, Equipment Operator (EO), Form Setter.
How much do Construction Laborers make?
10th percentile$35,090
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$38,620
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$47,120
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$59,740
Upper quartile
90th percentile$78,090
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $47,120 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $22.66/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $52,030 |
| People employed | 1,096,780 |
Versus all US occupations
At $47,120, Construction Laborers earn 8% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $3,860 a year.
Versus construction and extraction occupations
Inside the Construction and Extraction group, where the middle occupation pays $57,430, this is 18% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $78,090 or more while the bottom 10% earn $35,090, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 21% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Hawaii pays the most at $77,110, and still leads at $70,131 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Construction Laborers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $77,110 | $70,131 | 4,580 |
| New Jersey | $64,060 | $58,876 | 23,590 |
| Massachusetts | $63,390 | $59,939 | 16,210 |
| Illinois | $60,690 | $60,716 | 35,940 |
| California | $60,270 | $54,435 | 88,240 |
| Minnesota | $60,260 | $61,103 | 28,530 |
| Connecticut | $58,290 | $56,259 | 7,360 |
| Alaska | $58,060 | $56,722 | 3,690 |
| Washington | $57,720 | $53,937 | 25,060 |
| Rhode Island | $57,240 | $55,964 | 2,110 |
Is Construction Laborer a growing career?
Construction Laborers7.3%
All US occupations3.1%
+7.3% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Construction Laborers to change 7.3% over 2024–2034, roughly 2.4× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 106,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 129,400 openings are projected each year, 8.9% of the 1,457,000 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of construction laborers and helpers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of construction laborers and helpers varies by occupation (see table).
Construction laborers work in all fields of construction, and demand for laborers should mirror the level of overall construction activity. Repairing and replacing the nation’s infrastructure, such as the power grid, roads, and water lines, is expected to result in steady demand for laborers.
How to become a Construction Laborer
Construction laborers and helpers learn on the job. Formal education is not typically required, but some employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a high school diploma or the equivalent.
| Typical entry-level education | No formal educational credential |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as construction laborers.
- High School Diploma34.9%
- Less than a High School Diploma32.5%
- Post-Secondary Certificate28.0%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)4.6%
What does a Construction Laborer do?
Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris, and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers.
Construction laborers and helpers perform tasks, such as using, supplying, or holding materials or tools and cleaning work areas and equipment, on construction sites.
Day-to-day tasks
- Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.
- Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards.
- Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
- Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.
- Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications.
- Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.
- Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.
- Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Speaking3.3/5
- Active Listening3.1/5
- Reading Comprehension2.8/5
- Critical Thinking2.8/5
- Monitoring2.6/5
- Writing2.3/5
- Active Learning2.1/5
- Learning Strategies2.1/5
Transferable skills
- Coordination3.1/5
- Operation and Control3.1/5
- Operations Monitoring3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.6/5
- Equipment Selection2.6/5
- Equipment Maintenance2.5/5
- Time Management2.5/5
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Construction Laborer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary7.0
Investigative2.7
Artistic1.4
Social1.2
Enterprising1.4
Conventionalprimary3.6
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Construction Laborer: frequently asked questions
How much do Construction Laborers make?
Construction Laborers earn a median of $47,120 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 8% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $22.66/hr. The middle half earn between $38,620 and $59,740. The top 10% earn $78,090 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Construction Laborer?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Construction Laborers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 34.9% hold high school diploma.
Is Construction Laborer a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 7.3% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 129,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Construction Laborer do?
Construction laborers and helpers perform tasks, such as using, supplying, or holding materials or tools and cleaning work areas and equipment, on construction sites. A core O*NET task: read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Construction Laborers the most?
The highest state medians for Construction Laborers are Hawaii ($77,110), New Jersey ($64,060), Massachusetts ($63,390) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Construction Laborer?
O*NET scores Construction Laborers highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.