Construction Salary Statistics 2026
Construction and Extraction Occupations employ 6,425,160 people in the United States, with a median wage of $59,540 and a mean of $65,360 (BLS, OEWS May 2025, via PayCrunch).
Wage estimates: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Rankings, ratios and shares on this page are PayCrunch calculations from that national file. Figures are annual and not adjusted for cost of living.
Pay for Construction and Extraction Occupations, SOC major group 47-0000, in the BLS OEWS May 2025 national file.
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Construction and Extraction Occupations employ 6,425,160 people in the United States, with a median wage of $59,540 and a mean of $65,360 (BLS, OEWS May 2025, via PayCrunch).
Key statistics
Each line is one figure with its source. Quote any of them directly; the citation format is at the foot of the page.
- Construction and Extraction Occupations employ 6,425,160 people, with a median wage of $59,540 and a mean of $65,360.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
- The group is 4.1% of US employment of 155,495,730.Source: PayCrunch calculation from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
- Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers have the highest median in the group, at $109,910, with a mean of $109,820 and employment of 23,790.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers are second, at a median of $79,920.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
- Roof Bolters, Mining are third, at a median of $78,540.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons have the lowest median in the group, at $40,470, with employment of 7,490.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
- Construction Laborers is the largest occupation in the group, with 1,096,780 jobs and a median of $47,120.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers are next, with 812,210 jobs and a median of $79,920.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
- Electricians follow, with 757,220 jobs and a median of $63,190.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
- 1 detailed occupations in the group have a median of $100,000 or more and employ 23,790 people, 0.4% of the group's employment.Source: PayCrunch calculation from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
- The national file lists 60 detailed occupations in this group.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
All 60 occupations in the group by median wage
Every detailed occupation in SOC major group 47-0000 with a published annual median, sorted by that median. Employment and the mean are the figures BLS publishes for the same occupation.
| Occupation▲ | SOC▲ | Employment▲ | Median▲ | Mean▲ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | 47-4021 | 23,790 | $109,910 | $109,820 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 47-1011 | 812,210 | $79,920 | $86,450 |
| Roof Bolters, Mining | 47-5043 | 2,160 | $78,540 | $78,100 |
| Boilermakers | 47-2011 | 10,190 | $76,410 | $80,090 |
| Terrazzo Workers and Finishers | 47-2053 | 1,180 | $76,170 | $84,920 |
| Construction and Building Inspectors | 47-4011 | 146,720 | $74,690 | $77,730 |
| Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 47-5044 | 5,930 | $74,500 | $71,240 |
| Pile Driver Operators | 47-2072 | 2,310 | $73,300 | $80,710 |
| Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other | 47-5049 | 3,180 | $70,130 | $69,860 |
| Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | 47-4061 | 19,580 | $70,070 | $68,740 |
| Tapers | 47-2082 | 12,840 | $68,270 | $72,710 |
| Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | 47-5012 | 12,600 | $67,890 | $72,130 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 47-2152 | 465,840 | $63,800 | $72,170 |
| Electricians | 47-2111 | 757,220 | $63,190 | $71,490 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Workers | 47-2221 | 68,380 | $62,780 | $70,280 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | 47-2021 | 52,550 | $62,120 | $68,280 |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | 47-5041 | 14,000 | $61,810 | $65,050 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | 47-2211 | 119,770 | $61,800 | $67,850 |
| Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | 47-5032 | 5,100 | $61,390 | $66,640 |
| Carpenters | 47-2031 | 670,090 | $60,580 | $65,630 |
| Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | 47-5023 | 19,450 | $60,190 | $62,830 |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 47-2073 | 478,090 | $59,850 | $66,290 |
| Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers | 47-2171 | 13,800 | $58,970 | $66,060 |
| Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers | 47-2081 | 83,080 | $58,930 | $63,600 |
| Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | 47-5011 | 10,590 | $58,620 | $60,210 |
| Insulation Workers, Mechanical | 47-2132 | 25,660 | $58,340 | $65,530 |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | 47-5013 | 43,140 | $58,160 | $62,470 |
| Plasterers and Stucco Masons | 47-2161 | 19,310 | $57,660 | $62,050 |
| Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | 47-5022 | 34,480 | $57,430 | $59,930 |
| Stonemasons | 47-2022 | 7,820 | $57,390 | $60,710 |
| Glaziers | 47-2121 | 58,480 | $57,080 | $59,720 |
| Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | 47-2051 | 206,170 | $57,020 | $60,050 |
| Extraction Workers, All Other | 47-5099 | 5,540 | $57,010 | $57,890 |
| Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles | 47-2042 | 23,640 | $56,460 | $61,760 |
| Tile and Stone Setters | 47-2044 | 35,850 | $55,690 | $59,250 |
| Roofers | 47-2181 | 135,490 | $55,440 | $58,140 |
| Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | 47-2071 | 41,820 | $53,340 | $59,000 |
| Solar Photovoltaic Installers | 47-2231 | 31,350 | $53,140 | $57,900 |
| Paperhangers | 47-2142 | 1,570 | $52,140 | $53,730 |
| Floor Sanders and Finishers | 47-2043 | 3,720 | $50,440 | $52,460 |
| Carpet Installers | 47-2041 | 13,780 | $50,340 | $56,990 |
| Highway Maintenance Workers | 47-4051 | 154,960 | $50,260 | $53,080 |
| Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers | 47-4090 | 28,380 | $49,910 | $55,130 |
| Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | 47-4071 | 30,650 | $49,880 | $53,500 |
| Hazardous Materials Removal Workers | 47-4041 | 51,710 | $49,450 | $56,430 |
| Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 47-2141 | 225,190 | $49,400 | $55,420 |
| Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall | 47-2131 | 44,440 | $49,120 | $54,740 |
| Pipelayers | 47-2151 | 33,050 | $49,000 | $54,700 |
| Rock Splitters, Quarry | 47-5051 | 3,320 | $48,740 | $51,500 |
| Fence Erectors | 47-4031 | 24,480 | $47,980 | $50,530 |
| Helpers--Extraction Workers | 47-5081 | 6,700 | $47,730 | $50,620 |
| Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters | 47-3011 | 14,170 | $47,550 | $50,920 |
| Construction Laborers | 47-2061 | 1,096,780 | $47,120 | $52,030 |
| Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | 47-5071 | 44,970 | $46,960 | $49,200 |
| Helpers--Roofers | 47-3016 | 6,030 | $44,160 | $45,150 |
| Helpers--Carpenters | 47-3012 | 21,680 | $43,780 | $44,050 |
| Helpers--Electricians | 47-3013 | 63,630 | $42,670 | $44,080 |
| Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other | 47-3019 | 24,770 | $42,670 | $45,140 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 47-3015 | 44,330 | $42,360 | $43,730 |
| Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons | 47-3014 | 7,490 | $40,470 | $42,440 |
National figures, BLS OEWS May 2025. Click a column to sort.
The 15 largest occupations in the group
The same occupations, ranked by national employment.
| Occupation▲ | SOC▲ | Employment▲ | Median▲ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Laborers | 47-2061 | 1,096,780 | $47,120 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 47-1011 | 812,210 | $79,920 |
| Electricians | 47-2111 | 757,220 | $63,190 |
| Carpenters | 47-2031 | 670,090 | $60,580 |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 47-2073 | 478,090 | $59,850 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 47-2152 | 465,840 | $63,800 |
| Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 47-2141 | 225,190 | $49,400 |
| Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | 47-2051 | 206,170 | $57,020 |
| Highway Maintenance Workers | 47-4051 | 154,960 | $50,260 |
| Construction and Building Inspectors | 47-4011 | 146,720 | $74,690 |
| Roofers | 47-2181 | 135,490 | $55,440 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | 47-2211 | 119,770 | $61,800 |
| Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers | 47-2081 | 83,080 | $58,930 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Workers | 47-2221 | 68,380 | $62,780 |
| Helpers--Electricians | 47-3013 | 63,630 | $42,670 |
National figures, BLS OEWS May 2025. Click a column to sort.
Pay for individual occupations
Pages for occupations in the tables above, where PayCrunch has a page for that SOC code. Trade pay is also on the trades salary statistics page.
How to cite this page
Ready to paste for the page:
PayCrunch (2026). Construction Salary Statistics 2026. Aggregated from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. https://paycrunch.co/stats/construction-salary-statistics.html (accessed 16 October 2026).
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Construction and Extraction Occupations employ 6,425,160 people in the United States, with a median wage of $59,540 and a mean of $65,360 (BLS, OEWS May 2025, via PayCrunch).
Method
Source
Every wage and employment figure on this page comes from the national file of the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release of May 2025, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. No wage here is a PayCrunch estimate. Rankings, ratios and shares are PayCrunch calculations from that file and are labelled as such.
What is counted
Construction here is SOC major group 47-0000, Construction and Extraction Occupations. Employment, median and mean for the group are the published major-group row. The occupation tables are the detailed occupations whose SOC code starts with 47- (60 occupations). A detailed occupation is counted in the six-figure set when its published annual median is at least $100,000. The employment share of that set uses the major-group employment as the denominator. Rankings that need a median or an employment figure leave out an occupation that does not publish that figure.
Rows left out
An occupation with no published annual median or percentile is left out of any ranking that needs that figure. In this release that is a handful of occupations for which BLS publishes an hourly wage only. The all-occupations median, and the all-occupations 10th and 90th percentiles, are the single total row in the file. That row describes workers. It is not the median of the occupation-level medians, which is a different statistic and is published on the average salary statistics page.
Rebuilding these numbers
The script that computes every figure on this page is .github/stats-gen/gen_national_stats_pages.py. It reads data/open/national_M2025_dl.xlsx and regenerates this page. Nothing on this page is typed by hand.
Limitations
- OEWS is a survey. Every figure carries sampling error, and the error is largest where the occupation is smallest.
- Wage and salary employment only. OEWS excludes the self-employed, so occupations with many independent workers are under-covered.
- The 90th percentile is not a maximum. It is a point on a wage distribution. Pay above it exists.
- No cost-of-living adjustment. All figures are nominal annual wages.
- SOC titles are classification labels, not job titles as employers use them, and one SOC code can cover several distinct jobs.
- One release only. These are May 2025 figures; OEWS releases are not straightforwardly comparable across years.
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