Demolition Worker Salary in USA

$23/hr

Compare demolition-labor offers with the actual removal duties, materials and work conditions; specialized abatement and equipment operation need separate benchmarks.

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What Demolition Workers Earn in the United States

Current national construction-laborer employee wages span $16.87–$37.54/hr, or $35,090–$78,090/year. Demolition labor falls within this broader occupation; BLS does not publish separate demolition-worker percentiles. Work can involve breaking materials, selective removal and debris handling. Specialized abatement workers and machine operators are different comparisons. Location, employer and assignment affect offers. Editorial experience bands do not guarantee progression or replace an apprenticeship's agreed wage schedule.

Hourly rates by level in USA

What demolition workers earn at each stage of the trade in USA, before overtime or per-diem.

Entry · 0–2 yrs
$16.87–$18.57/hr
▲ 0.85% from last year
Skilled · 3–7 yrs
$18.57–$28.72/hr
▲ 0.85% from last year
Lead · 7+ yrs
$28.72–$37.54/hr
▲ 0.85% from last year

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Where do you stand?

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$/ hr

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You're right around the middle

$32.00 is above roughly 52% of this market. The top quarter starts at $37.00, and the median sits at $31.50.

10th
$18
25th
$25
Median
$32
75th
$37
90th
$50
YOU · $32.00
Your percentile
52th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$66,560
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
+$1,040
Above the median

Build your rate

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
American RecruitsEstimate
Skilled Demolition Worker
USA · Day Shift
Base rate$23.65
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.38
+ Fall Protection Competent Person$0.75
Effective hourly$24.78
Straight · 40 hrs$991
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$297
Weekly gross$1,288
Annualised · 50 weeks
$64,415
8 OT hrs/week · USA

Who pays the most in USA

Remediation businesses, commercial building and specialty contractors are compared using broader construction-laborer medians. Exposure concerns, occupied surroundings and travel distinguish these selected settings; the ranked wages are not demolition-only figures.

01 / 03$24.39/hr

Remediation and Other Waste Management Services

Labor within remediation and waste-management businesses.

+ Varied projects
+ Specialized environments
– Exposure concerns
– Changing assignments
02 / 03$24.01/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Labor supporting commercial building projects.

+ Larger projects
+ Crew coordination
– Schedule changes
– Occupied surroundings
03 / 03$22.79/hr

Other Specialty Trade Contractors

Specialist construction and site-preparation services.

+ Diverse sites
+ Practical learning
– Travel demands
– Uneven workloads

Which states pay demolition workers 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. 01California$28.98/hr
  2. 02Virginia$20.94/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
Fall Protection+$0.75$1,560$1625 weeks
Fire Watch Training+$0.38$790$755 weeks
OSHA 10+$0.38$790$906 weeks
NCCER Safety Technology+$1$2,080$2506 weeks
First Aid/CPR+$0.25$520$758 weeks

What overtime actually adds

At $22.66/hr.

40 hr week
$906
No OT
50 hr week
$1,246
+$16,995/yr
60 hr week
$1,586
+$33,990/yr
70 hr week
$1,926
+$50,985/yr

Questions workers ask

Does hazardous demolition automatically require hazard pay?▾
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act does not itself establish a hazard-pay entitlement. A contract, collective agreement or other applicable requirement may provide additional pay. Ask whether the quoted rate includes a negotiated premium, how it is recorded and what conditions trigger it. Extra pay is not a substitute for required hazard controls. Do not treat a difficult assignment or this guide's upper wage band as proof that a premium is legally owed.
Can an employer deduct required tool costs from my wages?▾
Federal rules restrict deductions for employer-required tools when they reduce wages below the applicable federal minimum or cut required overtime. State rules may provide stronger protection. Ask which tools are supplied, what you must buy and how any deduction will appear on your pay statement. Keep purchase receipts and records of deductions. Compare the actual take-home arrangement rather than assuming a higher hourly offer covers every equipment expense.
Is travel between demolition sites paid working time?▾
Travel from one job site to another during the workday generally counts as hours worked under federal rules. Ordinary home-to-work commuting is different. If you report to a yard for instructions or loading before traveling, the facts matter. Ask where the workday starts and how travel is recorded, particularly on crews serving several properties. Keep your reporting times and daily movements so the pay arrangement can be checked against actual work.

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Current BLS national construction laborer employee wages, SOC 47-2061; demolition labor is included, specialized abatement and machine operation are separate.

Last updated October 20, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.