Occupations · Construction and Extraction

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.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 47-2061.00

$46,730median annual wage, May 2024

1,057,660people employed, United States

▲ 7.3%projected change, 2024→2034

129,400openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 89% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$61,870	44,830
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	$38,510	33,070
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$39,010	26,320
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	$46,990	23,570
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$68,410	23,300
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$59,540	21,240
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$46,500	18,060
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$39,550	16,850
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$60,350	15,910
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$43,970	15,760
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$53,200	14,600
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$59,690	13,960

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: No formal educational credential · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

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.
Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes.
Perform site activities required of green certified construction practices, such as implementing waste management procedures, identifying materials for reuse, or installing erosion or sedimentation control mechanisms.
Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones.
Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment.
Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments.
Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.
Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools.
Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.
Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Speaking3.2

Active Listening3.1

Reading Comprehension2.8

Critical Thinking2.8

Monitoring2.6

Writing2.2

Active Learning2.1

Learning Strategies2.1

Mathematics2.0

Science1.5

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Autodesk Revit●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Outlook●Microsoft Windows●Microsoft Word●Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management●

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

2 / 5Some preparation — a school diploma and a few months of on-the-job training.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

E-Mail−2.5 below average

Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions+2.3 above average

Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures+2.2 above average

Exposed to Hazardous Equipment+2.2 above average

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled−2.1 below average

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets+2.0 above average

Written Letters and Memos−1.7 below average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2020-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)35%

Less than a High School Diploma33%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)28%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)5%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2020-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Realistic7.0

Conventional3.6

Investigative2.7

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Operation and Control3.1

Coordination3.1

Operations Monitoring3.0

Complex Problem Solving2.8

Social Perceptiveness2.6

Equipment Selection2.6

Time Management2.5

Equipment Maintenance2.5

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Building and ConstructionPublic Safety and SecurityMechanicalCustomer and Personal ServiceEducation and TrainingAdministration and Management

Abilities it leans on

Manual DexterityStatic StrengthMultilimb CoordinationArm-Hand SteadinessOral ComprehensionOral Expression

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

AxmanDoperPitmanTamperDiggerGraderBellerBelterHelperTagmanJet ManSounderPuddlerRiveter

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.

Now listed 6

+Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management+Microsoft Excel+Microsoft Outlook+Microsoft Word+Microsoft Office software+Autodesk Revit

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

MixerAxmanDoperGruntDiggerBellerHelperTamperPourerBelterGraderTagman

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
building construction worker	9313.1	broader
road construction worker	8342.6	broader
civil engineering worker	9312.1	broader
concrete finisher	7114.1	broader
demolition worker	7119.2	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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