Construction Helper Salary in California

$23/hr

Compare California construction helper pay ranges and compensation factors to evaluate written offers for your skills and experience.

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What Construction Helpers Earn in California

California's other construction-trade helpers earn $18.35–$32.64/hr across the current 10th–90th percentiles, or $38,160–$67,890 annually. The median is $23.29/hr, or $48,430/year. This BLS occupation excludes several separately classified trade-helper specialties. Match the actual tasks before applying the figures to an offer. These employee estimates do not guarantee starting pay, year-round hours, or automatic progression into a qualified trade. Compare benefits, expenses, hours, and responsibilities alongside the advertised gross hourly wage.

Hourly rates by level in California

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$18.35–$21.09/hr
▲ 3.88% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$21.09–$27.43/hr
▲ 3.88% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$27.43–$32.64/hr
▲ 3.88% from last year

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Where do you stand?

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$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Construction Helper
California · Day Shift
Base rate$24.26
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.38
+ NCCER Core/Level 1$0.75
+ Fall Protection Competent Person$0.75
Effective hourly$26.14
Straight · 40 hrs$1,046
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$314
Weekly gross$1,359
Annualised · 50 weeks
$67,964
8 OT hrs/week · California

Who pays the most in California

The cards contrast public support roles, specialty contractors and commercial building crews. National medians for other construction helpers provide context for California offers. They do not rank California sectors or represent every specialized trade-helper wage.

01 / 03$26.18/hr

Local Government

Local-government employment provides another construction-support setting. Compare the advertised duties, eligibility, schedule, and benefits with private offers. This national helper benchmark does not establish your state's public-sector pay schedule or an individual vacancy's rate. Ask whether the advertised position is temporary or permanent.

+ Public construction projects
+ Structured departmental teams
– Formal recruitment procedures
– Defined job duties
02 / 03$22/hr

Other Specialty Trade Contractors

Specialty contractors undertake particular construction activities rather than managing whole projects. Compare the supported trade, supervision, learning opportunities, travel, expected hours, and benefits before assuming a general helper benchmark matches the duties of your assignment.

+ Varied support assignments
+ Practical trade exposure
– Changing project assignments
– Uneven contract workloads
03 / 03$19.94/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial and institutional building work can include supervised materials handling and crew support. Compare assigned tasks, site access, supervision, hours, and learning opportunities, alongside benefits and project continuity, before judging an offer against this benchmark.

+ Large building projects
+ Coordinated construction crews
– Restricted site access
– Changing project schedules

Which states pay construction helpers the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

  1. 01Californiathis page$23.29/hr
  2. 02Virginia$20.34/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
Forklift Operator Certification+$0.75$1,560$1324 weeks
Fall Protection Competent Person+$0.75$1,560$1866 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.38$790$1037 weeks
NCCER Core/Level 1+$0.75$1,560$2308 weeks
First Aid/CPR (OSHA-aligned)+$0.25$520$869 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $23.29/hr.

40 hr week
$932
No OT
50 hr week
$1,281
+$17,467/yr
60 hr week
$1,630
+$34,935/yr
70 hr week
$1,980
+$52,403/yr

Questions workers ask

Does paying per piece cover all of a helper's work time?▾
No. Under Labor Code Section 226.2, which the Labor Commissioner enforces, piece-rate pay must separately cover rest and recovery periods and other nonproductive time. Ask how payroll handles each category.
What if I report but receive less than half my shift?▾
You are generally owed pay for half the scheduled shift, with a two-hour minimum and four-hour maximum, under the Labor Commissioner's reporting-time rules. Exceptions include emergencies beyond the employer's control. Keep a record of the scheduled shift and reporting instructions.
Must California helpers provide their own required tools?▾
No. The Industrial Welfare Commission's construction wage order generally makes employers provide and maintain required tools. A limited exception covers customary trade hand tools for employees earning at least twice minimum wage.

See Open Construction Helper Jobs in California

Verified positions matching this trade and location.

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Current BLS California wages for Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other, SOC 47-3019; separately classified carpenter, electrician, plumber, and other specific trade helpers are excluded.

Last updated October 23, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.