Jetted FoxCareers · Road & site crews
Construction laborers
Do physical work on construction sites like digging, carrying, cleaning and helping tradespeople. No college degree needed.
Start now · paid while you train
Starting pay ranges from about $14.41/hr in Alabama to $25.16/hr in Massachusetts.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $11.53–14.41/hr | $17.74/hr |
| Alaska | $18.26–22.30/hr | $27.91/hr |
| Arizona | $17.68–19.04/hr | $22.40/hr |
| Arkansas | $14.83–16.63/hr | $18.09/hr |
| California | $19.69–23.15/hr | $28.98/hr |
| Colorado | $18.47–20.53/hr | $23.03/hr |
| Connecticut | $20.47–22.92/hr | $28.03/hr |
| Delaware | $15.98–17.93/hr | $21.90/hr |
| Florida | $16–17.83/hr | $21.17/hr |
| Georgia | $13.41–16.93/hr | $18.74/hr |
| Hawaii | $21.15–25.13/hr | $37.07/hr |
| Idaho | $17.58–19.02/hr | $22.57/hr |
| Illinois | $18.69–22.14/hr | $29.18/hr |
| Indiana | $17.58–21.28/hr | $24.07/hr |
| Iowa | $18.36–21.90/hr | $23.31/hr |
| Kansas | $15.14–17.94/hr | $21.56/hr |
| Kentucky | $16.23–18.13/hr | $21.98/hr |
| Louisiana | $14.25–16.59/hr | $18.38/hr |
| Maine | $17.40–19.51/hr | $22.32/hr |
| Maryland | $17.51–18.98/hr | $22.58/hr |
| Massachusetts | $21.72–25.16/hr | $30.48/hr |
| Michigan | $17.90–21.52/hr | $23.84/hr |
| Minnesota | $20.65–23.28/hr | $28.97/hr |
| Mississippi | $14.12–16.25/hr | $18.13/hr |
| Missouri | $18.21–21.93/hr | $27.28/hr |
| Montana | $18.14–20.80/hr | $23.96/hr |
| Nebraska | $17.50–19.38/hr | $22.72/hr |
| Nevada | $17.50–20.22/hr | $23.55/hr |
| New Hampshire | $18.28–21.61/hr | $24.03/hr |
| New Jersey | $18.26–22.46/hr | $30.80/hr |
| New Mexico | $14.83–17.07/hr | $18.46/hr |
| New York | $16.50–21.13/hr | $26.89/hr |
| North Carolina | $15.31–17.97/hr | $21.50/hr |
| North Dakota | $18.75–21.96/hr | $23.59/hr |
| Ohio | $17.97–22.09/hr | $26.96/hr |
| Oklahoma | $16.10–17.54/hr | $18.92/hr |
| Oregon | $18.85–21.65/hr | $24.45/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $18.02–21.69/hr | $23.75/hr |
| Rhode Island | $18.98–22.51/hr | $27.52/hr |
| South Carolina | $15–17.64/hr | $20.65/hr |
| South Dakota | $16.91–18.42/hr | $21.98/hr |
| Tennessee | $16.79–18.11/hr | $21.64/hr |
| Texas | $15.65–17.66/hr | $19.53/hr |
| Utah | $16.77–18.63/hr | $22.38/hr |
| Vermont | $18.81–22.49/hr | $23.36/hr |
| Virginia | $15.82–17.80/hr | $20.94/hr |
| Washington | $19.20–22.56/hr | $27.75/hr |
| Washington, DC | $17.88–20.80/hr | $24.05/hr |
| West Virginia | $14.79–17.12/hr | $20.51/hr |
| Wisconsin | $18.26–22.14/hr | $26.97/hr |
| Wyoming | $17.14–18.51/hr | $22.13/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Also: 18+ · Drug test
Once you're hired
A normal day
You work outdoors on construction sites, digging trenches, carrying materials, cleaning up and running tools. You start early and work in all weather. You help carpenters, masons and other trades.
The good parts
No experience needed to start. Paid from the first day, often with overtime. A way into apprenticeships and equipment operator jobs.
The hard parts
Hard on your body: lifting, digging and bending all day. Outdoor work in heat and cold, with real injury risk from falls and equipment. Work slows in winter and when construction is down.
Where it leads
equipment operator, foreman or trade apprenticeship.
Quick answers
Do construction laborers need a college degree?
No. You can start now: paid while you train.
How long is the training for construction laborers?
1–4 weeks of paid training at work.
How much do construction laborers make?
About $16.87–18.57 an hour to start and $22.66 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.