The median annual wage of construction laborers and helpers was $28,410 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
The median wages for construction laborers and helpers in May 2010 were the following:
The starting pay for apprentices is usually between 30 percent and 60 percent what fully trained laborers make. They get pay increases as they become more skilled.
About 10 percent of construction laborers are members of a union. The largest organizer of laborers is the Laborers' International Union of North America.
Like many construction workers, most construction laborers and helpers work full time. Although they may need to stop because of bad weather, they commonly work overtime to meet deadlines. Laborers and helpers on highway and bridge projects may need to work overnight, a time during which traffic is least disrupted.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition