Construction & Extraction
Tunnel Workers
SOC 47-5061
Excavate and construct tunnels for highways, subways, and utilities.
The job
Median pay
$62k
Estimated
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Stable
Estimated
Openings a year
14k
Estimated
Typical education
No formal credential
Our model
AI exposure
Not measured
No task data or O*NET work context for this role, so it is not ranked
Future-proof
51/100
Key skills
- Drilling
- Shotcrete
- Safety
- Strength
- Confined space tolerance
Pay and jobs by state: Construction and Extraction Occupations (group)
Group figures. BLS reports no numbers for Tunnel Workers on its own; this is the group it belongs to. 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 | 674,000 | 47.9 | 1.2× | $49k |
| California | 672,770 | 36.9 | 0.9× | $72k |
| Florida | 462,050 | 46.5 | 1.1× | $49k |
| New York | 319,930 | 33.0 | 0.8× | $70k |
| Pennsylvania | 219,050 | 36.1 | 0.9× | $61k |
| Ohio | 196,920 | 35.5 | 0.9× | $62k |
| North Carolina | 196,760 | 39.8 | 1.0× | $49k |
| Illinois | 187,190 | 30.7 | 0.7× | $81k |
| Virginia | 176,990 | 43.1 | 1.0× | $56k |
| Arizona | 174,450 | 53.9 | 1.3× | $58k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 167,890 | 47.3 | 1.1× | $76k |
| Michigan | 161,070 | 36.6 | 0.9× | $61k |
| Georgia | 155,470 | 31.8 | 0.8× | $50k |
| Indiana | 145,590 | 45.5 | 1.1× | $62k |
| Colorado | 135,410 | 47.1 | 1.1× | $61k |
| Massachusetts | 132,960 | 36.6 | 0.9× | $77k |
| New Jersey | 126,280 | 29.5 | 0.7× | $73k |
| Tennessee | 125,860 | 38.4 | 0.9× | $51k |
| Minnesota | 122,450 | 41.5 | 1.0× | $73k |
| Wisconsin | 117,220 | 39.8 | 1.0× | $64k |
| Missouri | 115,800 | 39.4 | 0.9× | $62k |
| Utah | 113,880 | 65.6 | 1.6× | $57k |
| Maryland | 111,750 | 40.4 | 1.0× | $60k |
| Louisiana | 111,610 | 57.7 | 1.4× | $50k |
| Nevada | 89,610 | 57.8 | 1.4× | $62k |
| Alabama | 89,430 | 42.3 | 1.0× | $48k |
| Oregon | 88,810 | 45.1 | 1.1× | $66k |
| Oklahoma | 85,910 | 50.3 | 1.2× | $49k |
| South Carolina | 85,640 | 37.2 | 0.9× | $50k |
| Kentucky | 76,790 | 38.4 | 0.9× | $53k |
| Iowa | 70,570 | 45.3 | 1.1× | $59k |
| Kansas | 61,300 | 42.6 | 1.0× | $55k |
| New Mexico | 58,600 | 67.3 | 1.6× | $50k |
| Idaho | 56,350 | 65.7 | 1.6× | $56k |
| Arkansas | 53,160 | 40.8 | 1.0× | $46k |
| Connecticut | 51,200 | 30.2 | 0.7× | $72k |
| Nebraska | 50,780 | 49.6 | 1.2× | $54k |
| Mississippi | 49,640 | 42.7 | 1.0× | $47k |
| West Virginia | 42,670 | 60.8 | 1.5× | $58k |
| North Dakota | 34,720 | 80.9 | 2.0× | $61k |
| Maine | 32,350 | 50.5 | 1.2× | $60k |
| Montana | 31,890 | 62.3 | 1.5× | $61k |
| Hawaii | 29,590 | 47.2 | 1.1× | $82k |
| South Dakota | 26,200 | 57.3 | 1.4× | $50k |
| New Hampshire | 25,770 | 37.7 | 0.9× | $60k |
| Wyoming | 25,520 | 90.9 | 2.2× | $60k |
| Alaska | 21,690 | 66.6 | 1.6× | $76k |
| Delaware | 18,650 | 38.5 | 0.9× | $59k |
| Rhode Island | 17,900 | 35.7 | 0.9× | $63k |
| Vermont | 14,320 | 47.1 | 1.1× | $60k |
| Washington DC | 12,770 | 18.2 | 0.4× | $70k |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ285,220 jobs · $76k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA188,760 jobs · $70k median
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX181,540 jobs · $50k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX162,920 jobs · $50k median
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ132,260 jobs · $59k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN132,250 jobs · $84k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV113,410 jobs · $61k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL109,280 jobs · $51k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Tunnel Workers interactively →Pay and outlook for this occupation are Career Atlas estimates: BLS does not publish it on its own. Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.