Pay by state · 54 areas
Construction Laborer Salary by State (2026)
Construction Laborers earn the most in Hawaii at $77,110 a year and the least in Alabama at $36,900 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,120. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $77,110Hawaii
- National median
- $47,120BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $36,900Alabama
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for construction laborers
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Hawaii$77,110
- 2New Jersey$64,060
- 3Massachusetts$63,390
- 4Illinois$60,690
- 5California$60,270
Lowest median pay
- 1Alabama$36,900
- 2Arkansas$37,630
- 3Mississippi$37,710
- 4Louisiana$38,230
- 5New Mexico$38,400
All states
Construction Laborer salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of construction laborers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HIHawaii | $77,110 | $52,270 | $87,750 | 4,580 | $70,131 |
| 2 | NJNew Jersey | $64,060 | $46,710 | $94,510 | 23,590 | $58,876 |
| 3 | MAMassachusetts | $63,390 | $52,330 | $88,330 | 16,210 | $59,939 |
| 4 | ILIllinois | $60,690 | $46,040 | $95,240 | 35,940 | $60,716 |
| 5 | CACalifornia | $60,270 | $48,140 | $78,520 | 88,240 | $54,435 |
| 6 | MNMinnesota | $60,260 | $48,420 | $79,710 | 28,530 | $61,103 |
| 7 | CTConnecticut | $58,290 | $47,670 | $72,750 | 7,360 | $56,259 |
| 8 | AKAlaska | $58,060 | $46,390 | $69,950 | 3,690 | $56,722 |
| 9 | WAWashington | $57,720 | $46,930 | $72,160 | 25,060 | $53,937 |
| 10 | RIRhode Island | $57,240 | $46,810 | $77,480 | 2,110 | $55,964 |
| 11 | MOMissouri | $56,730 | $45,610 | $77,580 | 17,050 | $62,466 |
| 12 | WIWisconsin | $56,100 | $46,060 | $72,130 | 20,330 | $59,621 |
| 13 | OHOhio | $56,080 | $45,940 | $74,370 | 31,910 | $60,448 |
| 14 | NYNew York | $55,930 | $43,950 | $79,420 | 52,090 | $51,825 |
| 15 | OROregon | $50,860 | $45,030 | $62,200 | 12,620 | $49,206 |
| 16 | INIndiana | $50,070 | $44,270 | $62,240 | 28,600 | $53,649 |
| 17 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $50,020 | $43,260 | $59,090 | 2,090 | $45,514 |
| 18 | NHNew Hampshire | $49,980 | $44,950 | $58,910 | 4,330 | $47,982 |
| 19 | MTMontana | $49,830 | $43,260 | $58,750 | 4,590 | $52,649 |
| 20 | MIMichigan | $49,590 | $44,750 | $61,730 | 28,490 | $51,540 |
| 21 | PAPennsylvania | $49,400 | $45,110 | $61,810 | 35,920 | $50,629 |
| 22 | NDNorth Dakota | $49,070 | $45,680 | $60,680 | 5,050 | $55,160 |
| 23 | NVNevada | $48,990 | $42,070 | $64,720 | 11,890 | $49,000 |
| 24 | VTVermont | $48,580 | $46,780 | $58,110 | 1,430 | $49,593 |
| 25 | IAIowa | $48,490 | $45,560 | $58,470 | 13,780 | $55,252 |
| 26 | COColorado | $47,900 | $42,700 | $56,670 | 18,680 | $46,481 |
| 27 | NENebraska | $47,260 | $40,320 | $55,550 | 8,530 | $52,451 |
| 28 | MDMaryland | $46,960 | $39,480 | $55,540 | 20,920 | $44,741 |
| 29 | IDIdaho | $46,940 | $39,550 | $55,030 | 10,850 | $49,155 |
| 30 | AZArizona | $46,590 | $39,610 | $51,620 | 37,630 | $46,277 |
| 31 | UTUtah | $46,550 | $38,750 | $55,250 | 20,950 | $47,085 |
| 32 | MEMaine | $46,430 | $40,570 | $53,070 | 3,960 | $47,841 |
| 33 | WYWyoming | $46,030 | $38,510 | $49,920 | 3,350 | $49,660 |
| 34 | KYKentucky | $45,710 | $37,700 | $50,040 | 13,280 | $50,699 |
| 35 | SDSouth Dakota | $45,710 | $38,300 | $48,120 | 1,780 | $51,600 |
| 36 | DEDelaware | $45,550 | $37,280 | $56,310 | 3,240 | $45,638 |
| 37 | TNTennessee | $45,000 | $37,670 | $49,450 | 26,250 | $48,982 |
| 38 | KSKansas | $44,840 | $37,310 | $49,210 | 9,990 | $49,785 |
| 39 | NCNorth Carolina | $44,720 | $37,380 | $49,070 | 35,620 | $47,410 |
| 40 | FLFlorida | $44,030 | $37,090 | $47,970 | 87,040 | $42,576 |
| 41 | VAVirginia | $43,560 | $37,020 | $47,550 | 25,830 | $43,084 |
| 42 | SCSouth Carolina | $42,940 | $36,680 | $49,120 | 19,620 | $45,803 |
| 43 | WVWest Virginia | $42,670 | $35,620 | $54,780 | 6,620 | $47,678 |
| 44 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $42,200 | $34,820 | $47,440 | 370 | N/A |
| 45 | TXTexas | $40,620 | $36,730 | $46,950 | 123,250 | $41,852 |
| 46 | OKOklahoma | $39,360 | $36,470 | $47,460 | 13,710 | $44,807 |
| 47 | GAGeorgia | $38,990 | $35,220 | $46,950 | 27,800 | $40,491 |
| 48 | NMNew Mexico | $38,400 | $35,500 | $46,300 | 12,470 | $41,643 |
| 49 | LALouisiana | $38,230 | $34,510 | $47,300 | 22,100 | $43,341 |
| 50 | MSMississippi | $37,710 | $33,790 | $45,790 | 8,800 | $43,368 |
| 51 | ARArkansas | $37,630 | $34,590 | $44,320 | 10,650 | $43,284 |
| 52 | ALAlabama | $36,900 | $29,960 | $45,240 | 18,400 | $41,543 |
| 53 | GUGuam | $29,410 | $23,570 | $35,090 | 800 | N/A |
| 54 | PRPuerto Rico | $24,270 | $22,690 | $28,560 | 9,820 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For construction laborers, the adjustment does not change the leader: Hawaii is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $70,131.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Construction Laborer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays construction laborers the most?
Hawaii reports the highest median wage for construction laborers at $77,110 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New Jersey ($64,060) and Massachusetts ($63,390).
Which state pays construction laborers the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Alabama reports the lowest median for construction laborers at $36,900 a year, $40,210 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $42,200, Guam reports $29,410 and Puerto Rico reports $24,270.
Is the highest-paying state the best for construction laborers after cost of living?
Yes. Hawaii stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $70,131 in national-average dollars from a raw $77,110. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.