Construction Laborers salary in the US
A data-first look at construction laborers' pay: the median, the thresholds for the top 25% and top 10%, and how earnings vary across the country.
How much do construction laborers earn?
Across the country, the midpoint of annual earnings for construction laborers is $37,589 — 28% less than the $52,508 median for all US earners aged 25 and older. By median pay it sits 132nd out of 171, among the occupations where a typical year of earnings is smallest. That estimate rests on 71,119 individual Census survey responses from workers 25 and up.
| Position | Annual earnings |
|---|---|
| Top 10% start at | $83,527 |
| Top 25% start at | $57,276 |
| Median (top 50%) | $37,589 |
| Bottom 25% earn below | $22,039 |
How wide is the pay range?
This is a field with a long upper tail: $57,276 gets you into the top quarter, but the top 10% starts near $83,527, 2.2× what the median worker earns. On the lower side, 25% reported $22,039 or less. These are annual totals, so part-time schedules and partial years pull this number down. Put differently, the middle earner makes 1.7× what someone at the 25th percentile does.
Earnings by age
The age curve is gentle: $36,549 for workers aged 25–34, peaking at $40,610 for those aged 45–54. Among those 65 and older who still work, the median is $24,366, 40% below the peak — reduced schedules explain much of that.
Men and women
Women in this occupation have a median of $26,251, 31% below the $38,184 men report. Women account for around 4% of the records behind these figures. Differences in hours, specialty and seniority account for part of any gap, which the survey doesn't separate out.
| Group | Median earnings | Survey records |
|---|---|---|
| Men | $38,184 | 67,981 |
| Women | $26,251 | 3,138 |
Does education change the pay?
The spread by education is moderate — 14% between workers with a high school education or less ($36,731) and those with a bachelor's degree ($41,697). The largest group in the sample has a high school education or less (50,768 records). Levels with fewer than 100 records are left out rather than estimated.
| Education | Median earnings | Survey records |
|---|---|---|
| High school or less | $36,731 | 50,768 |
| Some college / associate | $40,610 | 14,956 |
| Bachelor's | $41,697 | 4,345 |
| Master's | $37,348 | 815 |
| Professional degree | $40,610 | 160 |
| Doctorate | Not shown (<100 records) | 75 |
Where the most work, and what they earn there
The five states with the most construction laborers in the survey are California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania. New York pays best of the five ($42,641 median); Florida pays least ($33,516). No cost-of-living adjustment is applied. In all, 50 states clear the 100-record bar for a state-level median.
| State | Median earnings | Survey records |
|---|---|---|
| California | $37,869 | 10,207 |
| Texas | $35,491 | 7,335 |
| Florida | $33,516 | 5,174 |
| New York | $42,641 | 4,438 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,979 | 2,499 |
Occupations with similar pay
Similar typical earnings show up for medical assistants ($38,184), general office clerks ($36,867), dental assistants ($36,731), and data entry keyers ($36,731). Each of these takes a different path in, but a typical year's earnings lands in the same range.
| Occupation | Median earnings | vs. this job |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistants | $38,184 | +2% |
| Office Clerks | $36,867 | −2% |
| Dental Assistants | $36,731 | −2% |
| Data Entry Keyers | $36,731 | −2% |
| Security Guards And Gambling Surveillance Officers | $36,661 | −2% |
About these figures
How to read these numbers: they are annual personal earnings (wages plus self-employment income) for people aged 25+ who reported working as construction laborers, pooled over 2020–2024 and adjusted to 2024 dollars. Part-time and part-year workers are included. Every group shown has at least 100 survey records; 71,119 records sit behind the headline median.
See where your pay ranks among construction laborers
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Open the calculatorSource: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) — personal earnings (PERNP) in 2024 dollars, person-weighted
Reference statistics only — not financial advice.