occupation · 47-0000 · major
Construction and Extraction Occupations — wages and employment
Construction and Extraction Occupations earned a median annual wage of $58,360 in the United States in May 2024, with 6,361,720 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Construction and Extraction Occupations earned a median annual wage of $58,360 in the United States in May 2024, with 6,361,720 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $37,440 or less, the best-paid tenth $100,430 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $55,680 to $58,360, +4.8 %. The best-paying state is Hawaii at $79,350; the lowest Puerto Rico at $24,880. Among metropolitan areas, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN pays the highest median, $82,300. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 6,361,720 | $58,360 | $63,920 | $37,440 | $46,030 | $76,820 | $100,430 | $28.06 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 6,225,630 | $55,680 | $61,500 | $36,380 | $44,220 | $74,750 | $97,700 | $26.77 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $79,350 | 29,490 |
| Illinois | $78,420 | 193,300 |
| Massachusetts | $76,180 | 134,770 |
| Washington | $74,110 | 170,570 |
| Alaska | $74,090 | 21,080 |
| New Jersey | $72,870 | 126,260 |
| California | $71,200 | 679,190 |
| Minnesota | $69,800 | 114,050 |
| District of Columbia | $67,320 | 11,480 |
| New York | $66,770 | 322,480 |
| Connecticut | $64,430 | 49,640 |
| Rhode Island | $64,110 | 17,330 |
| Oregon | $63,430 | 90,770 |
| Wisconsin | $62,170 | 112,180 |
| Nevada | $60,990 | 87,400 |
| North Dakota | $60,990 | 34,840 |
| Indiana | $60,720 | 139,940 |
| Ohio | $60,710 | 190,300 |
| Michigan | $60,330 | 158,920 |
| Missouri | $60,000 | 116,510 |
| Colorado | $59,900 | 138,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,360 | 215,370 |
| Montana | $59,200 | 33,670 |
| Delaware | $59,170 | 17,000 |
| Maryland | $58,980 | 116,110 |
| New Hampshire | $58,790 | 26,170 |
| Maine | $58,660 | 31,170 |
| Wyoming | $58,130 | 25,440 |
| Iowa | $57,920 | 72,620 |
| Vermont | $57,700 | 14,140 |
| Arizona | $56,860 | 170,970 |
| Utah | $53,780 | 111,490 |
| West Virginia | $53,420 | 43,590 |
| Virginia | $51,840 | 171,980 |
| Kansas | $51,090 | 60,330 |
| Kentucky | $50,970 | 72,730 |
| Nebraska | $50,960 | 49,800 |
| Idaho | $50,700 | 54,780 |
| Louisiana | $49,690 | 116,000 |
| Georgia | $49,010 | 151,790 |
| Tennessee | $49,000 | 126,440 |
| Virgin Islands | $48,880 | 1,670 |
| North Carolina | $48,680 | 196,130 |
| South Dakota | $48,530 | 25,720 |
| Florida | $48,460 | 454,600 |
| New Mexico | $48,420 | 56,050 |
| Texas | $48,410 | 657,790 |
| South Carolina | $48,390 | 80,560 |
| Oklahoma | $48,370 | 83,680 |
| Alabama | $47,150 | 88,400 |
| Arkansas | $45,810 | 52,070 |
| Mississippi | $45,670 | 46,710 |
| Guam | $36,480 | 6,970 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,880 | 35,760 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $82,300 | 138,640 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $81,860 | 2,540 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $81,120 | 20,820 |
| Kokomo, IN | $80,260 | 1,800 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $79,150 | 37,830 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $79,000 | 88,370 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $78,190 | 3,640 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $77,870 | 91,300 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77,320 | 94,880 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $76,900 | 69,120 |
| Peoria, IL | $76,260 | 6,430 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $76,090 | 3,400 |
| Vallejo, CA | $75,650 | 8,030 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $75,340 | 9,620 |
| Napa, CA | $75,230 | 3,220 |
| Rockford, IL | $75,150 | 4,760 |
| Bloomington, IL | $75,140 | 2,080 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $75,110 | 289,680 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $74,980 | 5,490 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $74,860 | 11,800 |
Occupations in this group
60 detailed occupations, largest first.
- Construction Laborers 47-2061 · median $46,730 · 1,057,660 jobs
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers 47-1011 · median $78,690 · 806,080 jobs
- Electricians 47-2111 · median $62,350 · 742,580 jobs
- Carpenters 47-2031 · median $59,310 · 697,740 jobs
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators 47-2073 · median $58,710 · 469,270 jobs
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 47-2152 · median $62,970 · 455,940 jobs
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance 47-2141 · median $48,660 · 224,180 jobs
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers 47-2051 · median $54,660 · 205,230 jobs
- Highway Maintenance Workers 47-4051 · median $49,070 · 151,750 jobs
- Construction and Building Inspectors 47-4011 · median $72,120 · 137,210 jobs
- Roofers 47-2181 · median $50,970 · 136,740 jobs
- Sheet Metal Workers 47-2211 · median $60,850 · 117,470 jobs
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers 47-2081 · median $58,140 · 82,900 jobs
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers 47-2221 · median $62,700 · 64,720 jobs
- Helpers--Electricians 47-3013 · median $39,890 · 64,440 jobs
- Glaziers 47-2121 · median $55,440 · 57,000 jobs
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons 47-2021 · median $60,800 · 53,520 jobs
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers 47-4041 · median $48,490 · 50,570 jobs
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators 47-2071 · median $51,650 · 45,680 jobs
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas 47-5071 · median $47,510 · 45,330 jobs
- Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas 47-5013 · median $57,980 · 44,120 jobs
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 47-3015 · median $39,270 · 43,640 jobs
- Tile and Stone Setters 47-2044 · median $52,240 · 38,740 jobs
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall 47-2131 · median $48,680 · 38,610 jobs
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining 47-5022 · median $52,550 · 34,210 jobs
- Pipelayers 47-2151 · median $48,710 · 33,580 jobs
- Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers 47-4090 · median $48,120 · 33,530 jobs
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners 47-4071 · median $49,140 · 29,050 jobs
- Solar Photovoltaic Installers 47-2231 · median $51,860 · 28,280 jobs
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical 47-2132 · median $57,250 · 25,640 jobs
- Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other 47-3019 · median $40,760 · 25,510 jobs
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles 47-2042 · median $54,340 · 24,850 jobs
- Helpers--Carpenters 47-3012 · median $41,600 · 24,610 jobs
- Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers 47-4021 · median $106,580 · 23,340 jobs
- Fence Erectors 47-4031 · median $46,940 · 22,640 jobs
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons 47-2161 · median $56,020 · 20,880 jobs
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas 47-5023 · median $59,600 · 17,410 jobs
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators 47-4061 · median $67,370 · 16,480 jobs
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters 47-3011 · median $46,480 · 15,660 jobs
- Carpet Installers 47-2041 · median $49,850 · 14,980 jobs
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators 47-5041 · median $63,380 · 14,340 jobs
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers 47-2171 · median $59,280 · 14,140 jobs
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas 47-5012 · median $65,010 · 13,090 jobs
- Tapers 47-2082 · median $64,700 · 12,500 jobs
- Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas 47-5011 · median $62,740 · 11,040 jobs
- Boilermakers 47-2011 · median $73,340 · 10,170 jobs
- Stonemasons 47-2022 · median $51,990 · 8,750 jobs
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons 47-3014 · median $38,140 · 7,220 jobs
- Helpers--Extraction Workers 47-5081 · median $48,400 · 6,720 jobs
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining 47-5044 · median $68,860 · 6,130 jobs
- Extraction Workers, All Other 47-5099 · median $50,110 · 6,070 jobs
- Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters 47-5032 · median $59,110 · 5,680 jobs
- Helpers--Roofers 47-3016 · median $40,590 · 5,170 jobs
- Floor Sanders and Finishers 47-2043 · median $49,150 · 4,140 jobs
- Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other 47-5049 · median $67,220 · 3,480 jobs
- Rock Splitters, Quarry 47-5051 · median $47,460 · 3,080 jobs
- Pile Driver Operators 47-2072 · median $70,510 · 3,040 jobs
- Roof Bolters, Mining 47-5043 · median $76,640 · 2,230 jobs
- Paperhangers 47-2142 · median $48,260 · 1,520 jobs
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers 47-2053 · median $57,260 · 1,450 jobs
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