Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2016

47-2061 Construction Laborers

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. Construction laborers who primarily assist a particular craft worker are classified under "Helpers, Construction Trades" (47-3010). Excludes "Hazardous Materials Removal Workers" (47-4041).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
912,100 0.7 % $18.22 $37,890 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.34 $12.76 $16.07 $21.67 $30.09
Annual Wage (2) $21,510 $26,550 $33,430 $45,080 $62,600


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 153,460 23.95 $18.17 $37,790
Residential Building Construction 113,590 15.88 $16.94 $35,240
Nonresidential Building Construction 111,040 14.64 $19.44 $40,430
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 106,570 12.61 $17.74 $36,890
Utility System Construction 96,830 19.74 $18.71 $38,920

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 80,890 24.65 $20.84 $43,340
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 153,460 23.95 $18.17 $37,790
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 22,560 20.38 $19.49 $40,540
Utility System Construction 96,830 19.74 $18.71 $38,920
Residential Building Construction 113,590 15.88 $16.94 $35,240

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers 300 0.11 $28.22 $58,690
Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (8) (8) $26.19 $54,470
Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing 120 0.13 $25.53 $53,100
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 230 (7) $25.51 $53,050
Motion Picture and Video Industries 310 0.07 $24.51 $50,990


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 100,600 8.57 1.32 $14.62 $30,400
California 92,250 5.78 0.89 $21.26 $44,220
New York 61,050 6.71 1.03 $23.11 $48,080
Florida 57,090 6.94 1.07 $14.00 $29,120
Pennsylvania 38,180 6.64 1.02 $18.61 $38,710




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Dakota 5,380 12.64 1.95 $19.10 $39,730
New Mexico 9,480 11.78 1.81 $14.30 $29,750
Wyoming 3,070 11.12 1.71 $16.45 $34,210
West Virginia 7,400 10.61 1.63 $16.47 $34,250
Montana 4,720 10.38 1.60 $18.06 $37,570




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Illinois 31,260 5.29 0.82 $27.01 $56,180
Hawaii 5,570 8.80 1.36 $27.01 $56,180
Massachusetts 18,980 5.48 0.84 $25.84 $53,750
New Jersey 25,350 6.41 0.99 $24.05 $50,030
Alaska 2,820 8.73 1.34 $23.88 $49,680





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 39,100 5.94 0.91 $24.99 $51,980
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 30,950 10.55 1.62 $15.79 $32,840
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 17,580 4.83 0.74 $29.15 $60,630
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 17,270 6.76 1.04 $17.00 $35,360
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 16,810 3.98 0.61 $21.41 $44,540
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 16,770 6.90 1.06 $14.16 $29,450
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 14,810 5.95 0.92 $16.82 $34,980
Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY Metropolitan Division 12,670 9.85 1.52 $24.02 $49,960
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 12,590 6.50 1.00 $16.19 $33,670
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 12,330 9.05 1.39 $20.01 $41,620




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 820 21.39 3.29 $14.92 $31,040
Greeley, CO 1,550 16.17 2.49 $17.46 $36,310
Farmington, NM 800 16.17 2.49 $14.54 $30,240
Pittsfield, MA 640 15.76 2.43 $19.73 $41,030
Odessa, TX 1,050 15.42 2.37 $17.59 $36,600
St. George, UT 920 15.28 2.35 $14.19 $29,520
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 3,730 14.92 2.30 $14.64 $30,450
Homosassa Springs, FL 480 14.88 2.29 $13.48 $28,040
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 2,220 13.69 2.11 $15.34 $31,900
Lake Charles, LA 1,400 13.62 2.10 $15.31 $31,840




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division 2,500 10.15 1.56 $29.35 $61,050
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 17,580 4.83 0.74 $29.15 $60,630
Urban Honolulu, HI 4,220 9.13 1.41 $27.84 $57,910
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division 8,890 4.93 0.76 $27.77 $57,770
Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA NECTA Division 850 10.77 1.66 $27.28 $56,750
Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, MA NECTA Division 330 5.76 0.89 $27.15 $56,480
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 360 5.00 0.77 $27.10 $56,370
Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division 1,520 3.78 0.58 $26.69 $55,510
Bloomington, IL 480 5.34 0.82 $26.25 $54,600
Peabody-Salem-Beverly, MA NECTA Division 280 2.97 0.46 $25.81 $53,680

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 3,520 18.23 2.81 $13.96 $29,030
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 2,890 8.74 1.35 $18.72 $38,930
North Texas nonmetropolitan area 2,680 10.05 1.55 $14.30 $29,740
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 2,490 19.22 2.96 $14.43 $30,010
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 2,290 10.01 1.54 $15.33 $31,880

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Far West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 1,810 27.83 4.28 $20.82 $43,310
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 2,490 19.22 2.96 $14.43 $30,010
Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 3,520 18.23 2.81 $13.96 $29,030
Garrett County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 180 16.73 2.58 $16.07 $33,420
Central Montana nonmetropolitan area 540 15.86 2.44 $19.49 $40,540

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 710 5.28 0.81 $26.05 $54,170
Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area 1,010 13.68 2.11 $24.29 $50,510
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 160 9.48 1.46 $23.70 $49,290
North Nevada nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $23.48 $48,840
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 980 10.09 1.55 $23.39 $48,650


About May 2016 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017