What You Need to Know About Construction Laborer
Job Description & Duties Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers.
Life As a Construction Laborer: What Do They Do?
- Perform site activities required of green certified construction practices, such as implementing waste management procedures, identifying materials for reuse, or installing erosion or sedimentation control mechanisms.
- Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications.
- Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools.
- Apply caulking compounds by hand or caulking guns to protect against entry of water or air.
- Provide assistance to craft workers, such as carpenters, plasterers, or masons.
- Mop, brush, or spread paints, cleaning solutions, or other compounds over surfaces to clean them or to provide protection.
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Construction Laborer Required Skills
Construction Laborers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Related Job Titles
- Dredge Pipe Operator
- Tagman
- Dredge Pipeman
- General Laborer
- Mat Worker
Is There Going to be Demand for Construction Laborers?
In the United States, there were 1,216,700 jobs for Construction Laborer in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 12.4% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 150,400 new jobs for Construction Laborer by 2026. The BLS estimates 145,300 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Construction Laborer are Utah, Colorado, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Vermont, or Mississippi. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Construction Laborers Make A Lot Of Money?
Construction Laborers make between $23,460 and $65,590 a year.

Construction Laborers who work in Hawaii, Illinois, or Alaska, make the highest salaries.
How much do Construction Laborers make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $32,000 |
Alaska | $51,470 |
Arizona | $36,000 |
Arkansas | $29,070 |
California | $48,250 |
Colorado | $36,520 |
Connecticut | $49,700 |
Delaware | $35,640 |
District of Columbia | $42,200 |
Florida | $31,630 |
Georgia | $33,600 |
Hawaii | $58,770 |
Idaho | $32,630 |
Illinois | $59,960 |
Indiana | $38,380 |
Iowa | $37,510 |
Kansas | $35,600 |
Kentucky | $36,150 |
Louisiana | $35,120 |
Maine | $32,950 |
Maryland | $34,420 |
Massachusetts | $52,780 |
Michigan | $39,700 |
Minnesota | $52,150 |
Mississippi | $30,410 |
Missouri | $47,270 |
Montana | $37,330 |
Nebraska | $34,660 |
Nevada | $37,100 |
New Hampshire | $38,490 |
New Jersey | $53,540 |
New Mexico | $32,070 |
New York | $51,720 |
North Carolina | $30,280 |
North Dakota | $42,000 |
Ohio | $44,030 |
Oklahoma | $31,230 |
Oregon | $41,080 |
Pennsylvania | $41,260 |
Rhode Island | $47,030 |
South Carolina | $31,090 |
South Dakota | $30,700 |
Tennessee | $31,940 |
Texas | $32,630 |
Utah | $33,680 |
Vermont | $36,120 |
Virginia | $31,950 |
Washington | $48,070 |
West Virginia | $36,450 |
Wisconsin | $43,900 |
Wyoming | $36,160 |
What Tools & Technology do Construction Laborers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Construction Laborers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Windows
- Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management
- Autodesk Revit
How to Become a Construction Laborer
Are there Construction Laborers education requirements?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Construction Laborer?

Where do Construction Laborers Work?

The table below shows the approximate number of Construction Laborers employed by various industries.

Similar Careers
Those interested in being a Construction Laborer may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as a Construction Laborer sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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