Occupational Employment and Wages Summary

Construction and extraction occupations had employment of 6.4 million in May 2025, representing 4.1 percent of total national employment, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The largest construction and extraction occupations were construction laborers (1.1 million) and first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers (812,210). The annual mean wage across all construction and extraction occupations was $65,360, less than the U.S. average wage of $69,770.

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program provides employment and wage estimates for about 830 occupations in the nation, states, and approximately 530 areas. National data are available by industry for approximately 410 industry classifications and by
ownership across all industries and for the educational services and hospitals industries. This news release features construction and extraction, educational instruction and library, and healthcare practitioners and technical occupations, in addition to largest occupations and
public sector occupations. National employment and wage information for all occupations is shown in table 1.

Construction and extraction occupations

–The largest construction and extraction occupations were construction laborers (1.1 million), first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers (812,210), electricians (757,220), and carpenters (670,090). (See table 1.)

–The highest paying construction and extraction occupations included elevator and escalator installers and repairers ($109,820), first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers ($86,450), and terrazzo workers and finishers ($84,920). (See table 1.)

–The lowest paying construction and extraction occupations included helpers of painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons ($42,440) and helpers of pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters ($43,730). (See table 1.)

–The states with the highest concentrations of construction and extraction occupations were Wyoming (9.1 percent of state employment) and North Dakota (8.1 percent).

–Metropolitan areas with the highest concentrations of construction and extraction occupations were Midland, TX (14.8 percent of area employment); Odessa, TX (12.8 percent); and Farmington, NM (12.3 percent).

–Industries with the highest employment of construction and extraction occupations were building equipment contractors (1.3 million); foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors (709,410); and building finishing contractors (583,790). Outside of the
construction sector, industries with the highest employment of this occupational group included local government, excluding schools and hospitals (369,310) and support activities for mining (127,390).

Read the full press release from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.