Construction Laborers: Career Overview
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.
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What Do Construction Laborers Perform?
Typical responsibilities of construction laborers include:
- Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.
- Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
- Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.
- Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.
- Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.
- Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards.
- Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.
- Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful construction laborers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Air Breaker Operator
- Air Drill Operator
- Air Gun Operator
- Air Hammer Operator
- Air Tool Operator
- Aluminum Pool Installer
- Asbestos Removal Worker
- Asphalt Distributor Tender
How Many Construction Laborers Are There?
There are roughly 252,335 construction laborers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +1.7% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Construction Laborers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $54,483 |
| Hourly median | $26.19 |
| 10th percentile | $32,953 |
| 25th percentile | $43,718 |
| 75th percentile | $65,248 |
| 90th percentile | $76,013 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $66,100 |
| Illinois | $64,890 |
| New Jersey | $63,190 |
| Massachusetts | $62,430 |
| California | $60,540 |
| Minnesota | $58,720 |
| Rhode Island | $58,290 |
| Alaska | $57,970 |
| New York | $57,680 |
| Washington | $57,240 |
| Missouri | $53,840 |
| Wisconsin | $51,980 |
| Connecticut | $51,720 |
| Oregon | $49,970 |
| Ohio | $49,640 |
| Indiana | $49,520 |
| District of Columbia | $49,520 |
| Montana | $49,230 |
| Michigan | $48,670 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,480 |
| North Dakota | $48,340 |
| New Hampshire | $47,950 |
| Nevada | $47,780 |
| Iowa | $47,700 |
| Nebraska | $46,750 |
| Vermont | $46,700 |
| Colorado | $46,620 |
| Maryland | $46,320 |
| Arizona | $46,200 |
| Utah | $46,100 |
| Wyoming | $45,860 |
| Delaware | $45,590 |
| Maine | $45,540 |
| Idaho | $45,380 |
| Kentucky | $45,340 |
| Kansas | $44,810 |
| Tennessee | $44,150 |
| South Dakota | $43,470 |
| North Carolina | $42,250 |
| Virgin Islands | $41,500 |
| South Carolina | $41,310 |
| Florida | $40,820 |
| Louisiana | $40,240 |
| Virginia | $40,210 |
| Oklahoma | $40,020 |
| West Virginia | $38,770 |
| New Mexico | $38,520 |
| Texas | $38,180 |
| Georgia | $37,970 |
| Mississippi | $37,180 |
| Arkansas | $37,020 |
| Alabama | $36,300 |
| Guam | $28,810 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,020 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for construction laborers shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $58,111 | 13.4% | 0.85 |
| New England | $55,993 | 3.3% | 0.70 |
| Middle Atlantic | $53,800 | 12.6% | 0.85 |
| Great Lakes | $53,355 | 12.7% | 0.92 |
| Plains States | $52,345 | 7.6% | 1.16 |
| Rocky Mountains | $46,344 | 5.8% | 1.60 |
| Southeast | $40,623 | 27.5% | 1.16 |
| Southwest | $39,758 | 16.0% | 1.29 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $76,150 | 11,290 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $72,800 | 960 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $71,820 | 4,100 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $70,450 | 2,640 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $68,410 | 23,300 |
| Vineland, NJ | NJ | $65,180 | 420 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $64,310 | 570 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | MO | $63,600 | 8,910 |
Industry Breakdown
Most construction laborers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 892,690 | $47,070 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 66,880 | $38,740 |
| Manufacturing | 17,430 | $44,440 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 11,010 | $43,640 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10,110 | $46,640 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 7,060 | $46,290 |
| Educational Services | 4,130 | $38,790 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3,330 | $44,560 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk Revit (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Project management software: Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of construction laborers reflects the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Spend Time Standing
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Contact With Others
How to Become Construction Laborers
Entry-level construction laborers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons (Primary-Long)
- Carpenters (Primary-Long)
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers (Primary-Short)
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (Primary-Short)
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (Primary-Long)
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers (Supplemental)
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall (Supplemental)
- Pipelayers (Primary-Short)
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 47-2061.00 (Construction Laborers).
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