Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 47-4031

Fence Erectors

Median pay sits 35% below the mid peer in Construction and Extraction Occupations (neighbors include Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers, Electricians, Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other, Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Fence Erectors: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($110K) , Electricians ($63K) , Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other ($70K) , Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining ($75K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Fence Erectors publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-4031 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Establish the location for a fence, and gather information needed to ensure that there are no electric cables or water lines in the area
  2. 2. Set metal or wooden posts in upright positions in postholes
  3. 3. Measure and lay out fence lines and mark posthole positions, following instructions, drawings, or specifications
  4. 4. Align posts, by lines or sighting, and verify vertical alignment of posts, using plumb bobs or spirit levels
  5. 5. Attach rails or tension wire along bottoms of posts to form fencing frames
  6. 6. Dig postholes, using spades, posthole diggers, or power-driven augers
  7. 7. Attach fence rail supports to posts, using hammers and pliers
  8. 8. Assemble gates, and fasten gates into position, using hand tools
  9. 9. Mix and pour concrete around bases of posts, or tamp soil into postholes to embed posts
  10. 10. Make rails for fences, by sawing lumber or by cutting metal tubing to required lengths
  11. 11. Nail top and bottom rails to fence posts, or insert them in slots on posts
  12. 12. Discuss fencing needs with customers, and estimate and quote prices

Fence Erectors: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-4031 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.0 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.0
  2. 2. Speaking 3.0
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.0
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.0
  5. 5. Coordination 3.0
  6. 6. Time Management 3.0
  7. 7. Operations Monitoring 2.9
  8. 8. Operation and Control 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.0
  2. 2. Building and Construction 4.0
  3. 3. Transportation 3.9
  4. 4. Administration and Management 3.8
  5. 5. Design 3.7
  6. 6. Mathematics 3.5
Pay vs Construction and Extraction Occupations peers
-35%
vs mid peer median $73,300
This role $47,980/yr
$48K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
2,300
Annual openings
24,480
Estimated US jobs
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Highest-pay peer · $110K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Fence Erectors

1. Washington $51,860
2. California $56,060
3. Louisiana $51,770
4. Pennsylvania $58,600
5. Montana $55,720
6. New Jersey $56,690
7. Alaska $64,600
8. Minnesota $57,260
9. Connecticut $53,180
10. Iowa $52,510

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other $70,130
  2. 2. Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining $74,500
  3. 3. Electricians $63,190
  4. 4. Tapers $68,270
  5. 5. Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $109,910
  6. 6. Pile Driver Operators $73,300

Among Construction and Extraction Occupations peers on this card, Fence Erectors sits 35% below the mid peer median ($73,300). Its own median is $47,980.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,300 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Washington at $51,860. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers at $109,910. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Fence Erectors pay-rank #50 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

On the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table (60 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Fence Erectors lands at #50, 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 47-4031 · national median $47,980 · lower third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#50/60). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Fence Erectors salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-4031

Washington · top state for Fence Erectors

$52K published median

California · #2 state pay

$56K · behind Washington

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

Highest-pay peer vs Fence Erectors · $110K

Electricians

Lower-pay peer beside Fence Erectors · $63K

Compare Fence Erectors

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Fence Erectors with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Fence Erectors

Against another occupation

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Fence Erectors land on the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table? ▼
Fence Erectors is pay-rank #50 of 60 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Helpers--Extraction Workers ($48K), Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters ($48K), Rock Splitters, Quarry ($49K), Construction Laborers ($47K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do fence erectors do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Fence Erectors. Leading ones include: Establish the location for a fence, and gather information needed to ensure that there are no electric cables or water lines in the area; Set metal or wooden posts in upright positions in postholes; Measure and lay out fence lines and mark posthole positions, following instructions, drawings, or specifications; Align posts, by lines or sighting, and verify vertical alignment of posts, using plumb bobs or spirit levels. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for fence erectors? ▼
For SOC 47-4031, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.0), Speaking (3.0), Critical Thinking (3.0), Monitoring (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Building and Construction, Transportation. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Fence Erectors? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $47,980 as the national median for Fence Erectors. The published 10th-90th range is $35,810 to $70,010. Beside Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($109,910), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Fence Erectors? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Fence Erectors is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 2,300. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Fence Erectors? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Fence Erectors. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Fence Erectors? ▼
Washington ($51,860), California ($56,060), Louisiana ($51,770) 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 Fence Erectors card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-4031. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Fence Erectors. 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