Construction Laborers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for construction laborerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Hawaii$71,520
- Massachusetts$70,830
- New Jersey$70,400
- Illinois$67,620
- California$64,870
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Alabama$37,910
- Arkansas$39,250
- Mississippi$40,310
- New Mexico$41,450
- Georgia$41,530
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $71,520 | $77,110 | $34 | +37.5% | 4,580 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $70,830 | $63,390 | $34 | +36.1% | 16,210 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $70,400 | $64,060 | $34 | +35.3% | 23,590 |
| 4 | Illinois | $67,620 | $60,690 | $33 | +30% | 35,940 |
| 5 | California | $64,870 | $60,270 | $31 | +24.7% | 88,240 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $64,740 | $60,260 | $31 | +24.4% | 28,530 |
| 7 | New York | $62,180 | $55,930 | $30 | +19.5% | 52,090 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $61,780 | $57,240 | $30 | +18.7% | 2,110 |
| 9 | Washington | $61,320 | $57,720 | $29 | +17.9% | 25,060 |
| 10 | Missouri | $60,850 | $56,730 | $29 | +17% | 17,050 |
| 11 | Alaska | $59,270 | $58,060 | $29 | +13.9% | 3,690 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $59,250 | $58,290 | $28 | +13.9% | 7,360 |
| 13 | Ohio | $58,300 | $56,080 | $28 | +12.1% | 31,910 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $57,960 | $56,100 | $28 | +11.4% | 20,330 |
| 15 | Oregon | $55,710 | $50,860 | $27 | +7.1% | 12,620 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $54,330 | $49,400 | $26 | +4.4% | 35,920 |
| 17 | Indiana | $54,060 | $50,070 | $26 | +3.9% | 28,600 |
| 18 | Nevada | $54,030 | $48,990 | $26 | +3.8% | 11,890 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $53,150 | $49,070 | $26 | +2.2% | 5,050 |
| 20 | Michigan | $53,130 | $49,590 | $26 | +2.1% | 28,490 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $52,220 | $50,020 | $25 | +0.4% | 2,090 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $51,730 | $49,980 | $25 | -0.6% | 4,330 |
| 23 | Iowa | $51,580 | $48,490 | $25 | -0.9% | 13,780 |
| 24 | Montana | $51,580 | $49,830 | $25 | -0.9% | 4,590 |
| 25 | Vermont | $51,000 | $48,580 | $25 | -2% | 1,430 |
| 26 | Colorado | $49,830 | $47,900 | $24 | -4.2% | 18,680 |
| 27 | Idaho | $48,630 | $46,940 | $23 | -6.5% | 10,850 |
| 28 | Utah | $48,410 | $46,550 | $23 | -7% | 20,950 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $48,350 | $47,260 | $23 | -7.1% | 8,530 |
| 30 | Maryland | $48,330 | $46,960 | $23 | -7.1% | 20,920 |
| 31 | Delaware | $48,020 | $45,550 | $23 | -7.7% | 3,240 |
| 32 | Arizona | $47,910 | $46,590 | $23 | -7.9% | 37,630 |
| 33 | Maine | $47,800 | $46,430 | $23 | -8.1% | 3,960 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $45,970 | $45,000 | $22 | -11.6% | 26,250 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $45,840 | $45,710 | $22 | -11.9% | 13,280 |
| 36 | Kansas | $45,580 | $44,840 | $22 | -12.4% | 9,990 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $45,550 | $42,670 | $22 | -12.5% | 6,620 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $45,470 | $42,940 | $22 | -12.6% | 19,620 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $45,420 | $46,030 | $22 | -12.7% | 3,350 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $45,250 | $44,720 | $22 | -13% | 35,620 |
| 41 | Florida | $44,550 | $44,030 | $21 | -14.4% | 87,040 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $44,310 | $45,710 | $21 | -14.8% | 1,780 |
| 43 | Virginia | $43,670 | $43,560 | $21 | -16.1% | 25,830 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $43,310 | $39,360 | $21 | -16.8% | 13,710 |
| 45 | Texas | $42,910 | $40,620 | $21 | -17.5% | 123,250 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $42,250 | $38,230 | $20 | -18.8% | 22,100 |
| 47 | Georgia | $41,530 | $38,990 | $20 | -20.2% | 27,800 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $41,450 | $38,400 | $20 | -20.3% | 12,470 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $40,310 | $37,710 | $19 | -22.5% | 8,800 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $39,250 | $37,630 | $19 | -24.6% | 10,650 |
| 51 | Alabama | $37,910 | $36,900 | $18 | -27.1% | 18,400 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 520 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vineland, NJ | $83,680 | $74,200 | 440 |
| 2 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $79,760 | $78,590 | 630 |
| 3 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $77,960 | $70,120 | 3,040 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $72,610 | $73,640 | 11,620 |
| 5 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $71,920 | $73,100 | 960 |
| 6 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $68,470 | $69,780 | 4,420 |
| 7 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $65,420 | $71,240 | 900 |
| 8 | North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $64,850 | $66,300 | 960 |
| 9 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $64,500 | $66,690 | 8,670 |
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $63,420 | $71,350 | 11,580 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing construction laborerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | $98,240 | $89,720 | 50 |
| 2 | Pipeline Transportation | $97,060 | $89,770 | 140 |
| 3 | Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas | $96,890 | $89,530 | 140 |
| 4 | Natural Gas Distribution | $81,470 | $74,680 | 660 |
| 5 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | $79,340 | $82,950 | 30 |
| 6 | Sector 52 - Finance and Insurance | $74,980 | $68,290 | — |
| 7 | Metal Ore Mining | $70,370 | $62,010 | 520 |
| 8 | Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $63,670 | $63,610 | 90 |
| 9 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $63,670 | $63,610 | 90 |
| 10 | Hospitals | $62,780 | $61,480 | 230 |
| 11 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | $62,320 | $60,110 | 130 |
| 12 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $62,130 | $61,450 | 230 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do construction laborers make in the U.S.?
The median construction laborers salary in the United States is $47,120 per year (mean $52,030), and about 80% earn between $35,090 and $78,090.
How much do construction laborers make per hour?
Roughly $25 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $52,030 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays construction laborers the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for construction laborers at $71,520 per year (median $77,110).
What is the job outlook for construction laborers?
Employment is projected to change +7.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 129,400 openings per year.