Construction & Extraction
Construction Laborers
SOC 47-2061
Do the hands-on labor that every construction site depends on.
The job
Median pay
$47k
$39k to $60k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+7.3% projected
Openings a year
120k
BLS projection
Typical education
No formal credential
Our model
AI displacement risk
Low
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
8/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
12th pct
More exposed than 12% of occupations · modeled estimate · 6th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
56/100
Key skills
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Writing
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 123,250 | 8.8 | 1.2× | $41k |
| California | 88,240 | 4.8 | 0.7× | $60k |
| Florida | 87,040 | 8.8 | 1.2× | $44k |
| New York | 52,090 | 5.4 | 0.8× | $56k |
| Arizona | 37,630 | 11.6 | 1.6× | $47k |
| Illinois | 35,940 | 5.9 | 0.8× | $61k |
| Pennsylvania | 35,920 | 5.9 | 0.8× | $49k |
| North Carolina | 35,620 | 7.2 | 1.0× | $45k |
| Ohio | 31,910 | 5.7 | 0.8× | $56k |
| Indiana | 28,600 | 8.9 | 1.3× | $50k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 28,530 | 9.7 | 1.4× | $60k |
| Michigan | 28,490 | 6.5 | 0.9× | $50k |
| Georgia | 27,800 | 5.7 | 0.8× | $39k |
| Tennessee | 26,250 | 8.0 | 1.1× | $45k |
| Virginia | 25,830 | 6.3 | 0.9× | $44k |
| Washington | 25,060 | 7.1 | 1.0× | $58k |
| New Jersey | 23,590 | 5.5 | 0.8× | $64k |
| Louisiana | 22,100 | 11.4 | 1.6× | $38k |
| Utah | 20,950 | 12.1 | 1.7× | $47k |
| Maryland | 20,920 | 7.6 | 1.1× | $47k |
| Wisconsin | 20,330 | 6.9 | 1.0× | $56k |
| South Carolina | 19,620 | 8.5 | 1.2× | $43k |
| Colorado | 18,680 | 6.5 | 0.9× | $48k |
| Alabama | 18,400 | 8.7 | 1.2× | $37k |
| Missouri | 17,050 | 5.8 | 0.8× | $57k |
| Massachusetts | 16,210 | 4.5 | 0.6× | $63k |
| Iowa | 13,780 | 8.8 | 1.3× | $48k |
| Oklahoma | 13,710 | 8.0 | 1.1× | $39k |
| Kentucky | 13,280 | 6.6 | 0.9× | $46k |
| Oregon | 12,620 | 6.4 | 0.9× | $51k |
| New Mexico | 12,470 | 14.3 | 2.0× | $38k |
| Nevada | 11,890 | 7.7 | 1.1× | $49k |
| Idaho | 10,850 | 12.7 | 1.8× | $47k |
| Arkansas | 10,650 | 8.2 | 1.2× | $38k |
| Kansas | 9,990 | 6.9 | 1.0× | $45k |
| Mississippi | 8,800 | 7.6 | 1.1× | $38k |
| Nebraska | 8,530 | 8.3 | 1.2× | $47k |
| Connecticut | 7,360 | 4.3 | 0.6× | $58k |
| West Virginia | 6,620 | 9.4 | 1.3× | $43k |
| North Dakota | 5,050 | 11.8 | 1.7× | $49k |
| Montana | 4,590 | 9.0 | 1.3× | $50k |
| Hawaii | 4,580 | 7.3 | 1.0× | $77k |
| New Hampshire | 4,330 | 6.3 | 0.9× | $50k |
| Maine | 3,960 | 6.2 | 0.9× | $46k |
| Alaska | 3,690 | 11.3 | 1.6× | $58k |
| Wyoming | 3,350 | 11.9 | 1.7× | $46k |
| Delaware | 3,240 | 6.7 | 0.9× | $46k |
| Rhode Island | 2,110 | 4.2 | 0.6× | $57k |
| Washington DC | 2,090 | 3.0 | 0.4× | $50k |
| South Dakota | 1,780 | 3.9 | 0.6× | $46k |
| Vermont | 1,430 | 4.7 | 0.7× | $49k |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ50,870 jobs · $61k median
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX34,080 jobs · $41k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX29,670 jobs · $44k median
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ29,230 jobs · $47k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN26,690 jobs · $61k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA21,730 jobs · $59k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL18,280 jobs · $46k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV17,710 jobs · $47k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Construction Laborers interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.