Construction Laborers
What Construction Laborers Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 26.9%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Building and Constructionimportance 4.0/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.2/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.0/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.8/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.4/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.3/5
- Designimportance 2.2/5
- Mathematicsimportance 2.2/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.9/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
- Spend Time Standing4.7/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.6/5
- Contact With Others4.5/5
- Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures4.5/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Rock Splitters, Quarry94% skill match
- Floor Sanders and Finishers93% skill match
- Helpers--Carpenters92% skill match
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors92% skill match
- Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders92% skill match
- Highway Maintenance Workers91% skill match
- Crane and Tower Operators91% skill match
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic91% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.1/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.8/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.6/5
- Equipment Selectionimportance 2.6/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 2.5/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.5/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Perseverance
- Cautiousness
- Stress Tolerance
- Attention to Detail
- Cooperation
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where construction laborers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Farmington, NM3.91× national avg
- 2Lake Charles, LA2.97× national avg
- 3Decatur, IL2.91× national avg
- 4Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX2.90× national avg
- 5Wildwood-The Villages, FL2.43× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and WallLateral Move
- Hoist and Winch OperatorsCareer Change
- Pile Driver OperatorsLateral Move
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and PlasticCareer Change