23% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.
The 30 Highest-Paying Construction Jobs (2026)
Construction Manager tops this list at $114,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with +8.7% projected employment change over 2024–2034. Below are 30 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.
Every occupation in the SOC construction and extraction group, plus construction managers, ranked by national median wage.
- Careers on this list
- 30
- Median pay on the list
- $62,450
- Projected to grow
- 22 of 30
- Openings a year
- 432,100
From 923 in the bank
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Combined, BLS EP
How we built this list
- Included when the occupation sits in the "construction and extraction" SOC major group (47-0000), plus construction managers (11-9021), whom BLS files under management.
- Ranked by national median annual wage from BLS OEWS.
- BLS publishes one wage per occupation code, and several O*NET job titles can share a code. Only one title per code is listed, so the same wage does not appear over and over.
- Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
- The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.
The top 30 highest-paying jobs in construction
Management
- Median pay
- $114,990
- Growth
- +8.7%
- Openings / yr
- 46,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate, usually through subordinate supervisory personnel, activities concerned with the construction and maintenance of structures, facilities, and systems.
2. Elevator Installer
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $109,910
- Growth
- +5.0%
- Openings / yr
- 2,000
- Education
- High school
Assemble, install, repair, or maintain electric or hydraulic freight or passenger elevators, escalators, or dumbwaiters.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
3. First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $79,920
- Growth
- +5.3%
- Openings / yr
- 74,400
- Education
- High school
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
4. Roof Bolter, Mining
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $78,540
- Growth
- -34.2%
- Openings / yr
- 100
- Education
- High school
Operate machinery to install roof support bolts in underground mine.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
5. Boilermaker
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $76,410
- Growth
- -2.4%
- Openings / yr
- 800
- Education
- High school
Construct, assemble, maintain, and repair stationary steam boilers and boiler house auxiliaries.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
6. Terrazzo Worker and Finisher
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $76,170
- Growth
- -11.1%
- Openings / yr
- 100
- Education
- High school
Apply a mixture of cement, sand, pigment, or marble chips to floors, stairways, and cabinet fixtures to fashion durable and decorative surfaces.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $74,690
- Growth
- -0.8%
- Openings / yr
- 14,800
- Education
- High school
Inspect structures using engineering skills to determine structural soundness and compliance with specifications, building codes, and other regulations.
8. Loading and Moving Machine Operator, Underground Mining
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $74,500
- Growth
- -22.3%
- Openings / yr
- 500
- Education
- No formal credential
Operate underground loading or moving machine to load or move coal, ore, or rock using shuttle or mine car or conveyors.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
9. Pile Driver Operator
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $73,300
- Growth
- +4.3%
- Openings / yr
- 300
- Education
- High school
Operate pile drivers mounted on skids, barges, crawler treads, or locomotive cranes to drive pilings for retaining walls, bulkheads, and foundations of structures such as buildings, bridges, and piers.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
10. Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $70,070
- Growth
- +1.6%
- Openings / yr
- 1,100
- Education
- High school
Lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
11. Taper
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $68,270
- Growth
- +0.1%
- Openings / yr
- 1,100
- Education
- No formal credential
Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
12. Rotary Drill Operator, Oil and Gas
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $67,890
- Growth
- +0.2%
- Openings / yr
- 1,200
- Education
- No formal credential
Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $63,800
- Growth
- +4.5%
- Openings / yr
- 44,000
- Education
- High school
Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases.
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $63,190
- Growth
- +9.5%
- Openings / yr
- 81,000
- Education
- High school
Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures.
15. Structural Iron and Steel Worker
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $62,780
- Growth
- +4.4%
- Openings / yr
- 5,500
- Education
- High school
Raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
16. Brickmason and Blockmason
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $62,120
- Growth
- +3.2%
- Openings / yr
- 5,600
- Education
- High school
Lay and bind building materials, such as brick, structural tile, concrete block, cinder block, glass block, and terra-cotta block, with mortar and other substances, to construct or repair walls, partitions, arches, se…
Profile coming in the next tranche.
17. Continuous Mining Machine Operator
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $61,810
- Growth
- +0.6%
- Openings / yr
- 1,600
- Education
- No formal credential
Operate self-propelled mining machines that rip coal, metal and nonmetal ores, rock, stone, or sand from the mine face and load it onto conveyors, shuttle cars, or trucks in a continuous operation.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $61,800
- Growth
- +2.4%
- Openings / yr
- 10,600
- Education
- High school
Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings.
19. Explosives Worker, Ordnance Handling Expert, and Blaster
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $61,390
- Growth
- -0.9%
- Openings / yr
- 500
- Education
- High school
Place and detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $60,580
- Growth
- +4.5%
- Openings / yr
- 74,100
- Education
- High school
Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways,…
21. Earth Driller, Except Oil and Gas
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $60,190
- Growth
- +2.9%
- Openings / yr
- 1,700
- Education
- High school
Operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap subsurface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in…
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $59,850
- Growth
- +3.6%
- Openings / yr
- 41,900
- Education
- High school
Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erec…
23. Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Worker
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $58,970
- Growth
- +4.6%
- Openings / yr
- 1,500
- Education
- High school
Position and secure steel bars or mesh in concrete forms in order to reinforce concrete.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
24. Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installer
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $58,930
- Growth
- +4.2%
- Openings / yr
- 7,700
- Education
- No formal credential
Apply plasterboard or other wallboard to ceilings or interior walls of buildings.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
25. Derrick Operator, Oil and Gas
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $58,620
- Growth
- +0.5%
- Openings / yr
- 1,000
- Education
- No formal credential
Rig derrick equipment and operate pumps to circulate mud or fluid through drill hole.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
26. Insulation Worker, Mechanical
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $58,340
- Growth
- +4.7%
- Openings / yr
- 2,300
- Education
- High school
Apply insulating materials to pipes or ductwork, or other mechanical systems in order to help control and maintain temperature.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
27. Service Unit Operator, Oil and Gas
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $58,160
- Growth
- +0.4%
- Openings / yr
- 4,100
- Education
- No formal credential
Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells or to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
28. Plasterer and Stucco Mason
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $57,660
- Growth
- +4.1%
- Openings / yr
- 1,900
- Education
- No formal credential
Apply interior or exterior plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
29. Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operator, Surface Mining
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $57,430
- Growth
- -0.4%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- High school
Operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
30. Stonemason
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $57,390
- Growth
- -3.0%
- Openings / yr
- 800
- Education
- High school
Build stone structures, such as piers, walls, and abutments.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Highest-Paying Jobs in Construction: FAQ
What is the top career on the highest-paying jobs in construction list?
Construction Manager leads the list with a median wage of $114,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) and projected employment change of +8.7% over 2024–2034. Typical entry-level education is bachelor's.
How was this list put together?
Every occupation in the SOC construction and extraction group, plus construction managers, ranked by national median wage. Included when the occupation sits in the "construction and extraction" SOC major group (47-0000), plus construction managers (11-9021), whom BLS files under management. Ranked by national median annual wage from BLS OEWS. BLS publishes one wage per occupation code, and several O*NET job titles can share a code. Only one title per code is listed, so the same wage does not appear over and over. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET 30.3 Database.
How much do highest-paying jobs in construction pay?
Across the 30 careers on this list the middle occupation pays $62,450 a year, from $57,390 at the bottom to $114,990 at the top (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The median across all US occupations is $50,980.
How many of these careers can you enter without a degree?
29 of the 30 careers on this list have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree: a high school diploma, a postsecondary certificate, or no formal credential (BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034).