Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Occupation-level safety SOC 47-2061

Construction Laborers

Occupation-specific BLS fatality and injury rates set the reading order for Construction Laborers, then wages beside peers such as First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers, Brickmasons and Blockmasons, Boilermakers, Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Construction Laborers: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($80K) , Brickmasons and Blockmasons ($62K) , Boilermakers ($76K) , Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining ($75K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Construction Laborers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-2061 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt
  2. 2. Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools
  3. 3. Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials
  4. 4. Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes
  5. 5. Perform site activities required of green certified construction practices, such as implementing waste management procedures, identifying…
  6. 6. Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones
  7. 7. Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment
  8. 8. Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments
  9. 9. Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities
  10. 10. Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools
  11. 11. Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed
  12. 12. Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures

Construction Laborers: O*NET ranks Speaking first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-2061 - lead skill Speaking at 3.3 ; lead knowledge Building and Construction. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Speaking 3.3
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.1
  3. 3. Coordination 3.1
  4. 4. Operation and Control 3.1
  5. 5. Operations Monitoring 3.0
  6. 6. Reading Comprehension 2.8
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 2.8
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 2.8

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Building and Construction 4.0
  2. 2. Public Safety and Security 3.2
  3. 3. Mechanical 3.0
  4. 4. Customer and Personal Service 2.8
  5. 5. Education and Training 2.4
  6. 6. Administration and Management 2.3
Occupation safety grade
C
Moderate Risk
Transparent derived index from BLS CFOI/SOII, not an official BLS rating · formula
National median still $47,120/yr
$47K
National median
↑ +7%
Growth 2024-2034
129,400
Annual openings
1,096,780
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Highest-pay peer · $80K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Construction Laborers

1. Rhode Island $57,240
2. Connecticut $58,290
3. Illinois $60,690
4. Minnesota $60,260
5. Massachusetts $63,390
6. Alaska $58,060
7. California $60,270
8. New Jersey $64,060
9. Washington $57,720
10. Hawaii $77,110

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Boilermakers $76,410
  2. 2. Brickmasons and Blockmasons $62,120
  3. 3. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $79,920
  4. 4. Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining $74,500
  5. 5. Construction and Building Inspectors $74,690
  6. 6. Tapers $68,270

Construction Laborers carries an occupation-specific WageDex safety grade of C from BLS CFOI/SOII rates. The national OEWS median is $47,120 inside Construction and Extraction Occupations (SOC 47-2061).

Employment Projections expect +7% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 129,400 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Rhode Island at $57,240. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers at $79,920. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Construction Laborers pay-rank #53 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

On the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table (60 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Construction Laborers lands at #53, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 47-2061 · national median $47,120 · lower third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#53/60). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Construction Laborers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-2061

Rhode Island · top state for Construction Laborers

$57K published median

Connecticut · #2 state pay

$58K · behind Rhode Island

First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers

Highest-pay peer vs Construction Laborers · $80K

Brickmasons and Blockmasons

Lower-pay peer beside Construction Laborers · $62K

Compare Construction Laborers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Construction Laborers with another occupation →

Safety and risk next reads

Safest Occupations

Roles with the strongest published safety grades

Construction Laborers full wage map

State and metro pay after the safety lead

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Construction Laborers land on the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table? ▼
Construction Laborers is pay-rank #53 of 60 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Roustabouts, Oil and Gas ($47K), Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters ($48K), Helpers--Extraction Workers ($48K), Fence Erectors ($48K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do construction laborers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Construction Laborers. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for construction laborers? ▼
For SOC 47-2061, O*NET importance scores lead with Speaking (3.3), Active Listening (3.1), Coordination (3.1), Operation and Control (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Building and Construction, Public Safety and Security, Mechanical. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Construction Laborers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $47,120 as the national median for Construction Laborers. The published 10th-90th range is $35,090 to $78,090. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($79,920), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Construction Laborers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Construction Laborers is +7%. Projected annual openings: about 129,400. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Construction Laborers? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Construction Laborers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Construction Laborers? ▼
Rhode Island ($57,240), Connecticut ($58,290), Illinois ($60,690) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Construction Laborers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-2061. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Construction Laborers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics