Construction Laborers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Construction and Extraction · SOC 47-2061 · O*NET 47-2061.00
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 fall under the Construction and Extraction category in the U.S. occupational classification. Construction Laborers earn a median salary of $46,730 per year, ranking in the top 73% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +7.3% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do construction laborers earn?
The median annual wage for construction laborers is $46,730. That puts construction laborers at #588 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $34,200 |
| 25th percentile | $38,100 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $46,730 |
| 75th percentile | $58,910 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $77,530 |
| Median hourly wage | $22.47/hr |
Is construction laborers a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for construction laborers is +7.3%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 1.5M positions in 2024 to 1.6M in 2034, a net change of 106K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do construction laborers do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working construction laborers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
- 2.Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.
- 3.Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.
- 4.Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.
- 5.Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards.
- 6.Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.
- 7.Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications.
- 8.Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.
Top skills for construction laborers
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become construction laborer?
Construction Laborers typically enter the field through a formal apprenticeship, technical certification, or vocational training program — a strong fit for teens who prefer hands-on learning over traditional college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about construction laborers
What is the median salary for construction laborers?
The median annual salary for construction laborers is $46,730 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is construction laborers a growing career?
BLS projects +7.3% growth for construction laborers from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become construction laborer?
The typical entry path requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to construction laborers?
Related occupations within the Construction and Extraction category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.