How Much Does a Construction Laborer Make Each Year?
Building the framework and foundations for the next residences, offices, public arenas, overpasses and highways, construction laborers pave the way for people to walk, drive and fly. Construction laborers are involved at the very start of a project, preparing and cleaning the worksite and checking it against city, area or state regulations, as well as operating massive machinery such as hoists, mixers and jackhammers.
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Facts
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After surveying construction workers in 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated the country's median salary for the profession to be $29,150 per year. The BLS also noted several industries where construction laborers earned much higher than the median. Leading the country was the motion picture and video industry, which paid its construction laborers an average salary of double the national wage, at $63,360 per year. The rail transportation industry and electronic power generation industry also paid their construction laborers higher rates, at $47,470 and $44,230 respectively.
Location
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Construction laborers who went to the country's extreme edges earned the highest salaries in 2009. At the top of the nation was Hawaii with a salary of $49,400 per year, followed closely by Alaska at $49,190. The northeast coast rounded out the top five, with New York paying $47,440 per year, Massachusetts at $46,810 per year and New Jersey at $46,620 per year.
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Considerations
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There is no standardized requirement for education or experience to securing a salary as a construction laborer; each job site is different. Some construction work requires just a high school diploma or GED, others may prefer the laborer have prior experience such as a formal apprenticeship, which is paid two- to four-year training under supervisory construction engineers. Technical schools and community colleges also provide instruction through short-term certificates, diplomas and two-year degree programs in construction.
Outlook
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The BLS expects a 20 percent growth in employment of construction laborers, adding 255,900 jobs through 2018. The Bureau suggests prospective construction laborers focus on employment in areas such as road construction and "green" building as the best opportunities to secure salaries.
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References
- Photo Credit construction worker image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
