Construction Laborers
Construction Laborers is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Construction Laborers workforce.
Employment Over Time
85,370 Workforce in 2023
The Construction Laborers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Construction Laborers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$68,084 Average Wage
In 2023, Construction Laborers earned an average of $68,084.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Construction Laborers.
Salary distribution for Construction Laborers.
Employment Growth Projections
-3.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
289,171 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -14.4%
247,514 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -26.7%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Construction Laborers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Construction Laborers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Construction Laborers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Construction Laborers.
Wage Trends by Industry
7.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Construction Laborers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Construction Laborers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 78,120 employees, $68,235 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Construction Laborers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 12,910 employees, $66,861 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 11,920 employees, $67,394 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 8,340 employees, $66,873 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 7,530 employees, $65,171 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 7,140 employees, $66,705 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 7,090 employees, $78,755 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 4,100 employees, $75,063 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 3,590 employees, $76,863 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 2,490 employees, $62,762 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 1,790 employees, $64,111 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Construction Laborers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Construction Laborers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Construction Laborers in 2023 was 85,370 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Construction Laborers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Construction Laborers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Construction Laborers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Construction Laborers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Construction Laborers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Construction Laborers workers.
Education level distribution for Construction Laborers.
Skills
Construction Laborers need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Operation and Control, Active Listening, Coordination, Operations Monitoring.
Required skills for Construction Laborers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Construction Laborers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Construction Laborers include Building and Construction, Public Safety and Security, Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training.
Knowledge areas required for Construction Laborers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Construction Laborers include Manual Dexterity, Static Strength, Multilimb Coordination, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Trunk Strength.
Required abilities for Construction Laborers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Construction Laborers.
Daily Activities
Construction Laborers spend their time on activities such as Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for Construction Laborers.
About
Construction Laborers
The average yearly wage for Construction Laborers was $68,084 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-2061 - Construction Laborers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Construction Laborers reports an average salary of $68,084.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 85,370 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -3.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.