General Laborer Salary in USA

$23/hr

Compare construction assignments with matching duties and complete pay terms; a general laborer title alone does not identify the right wage benchmark.

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What General Laborers Earn in the United States

For general labor on construction sites, current BLS construction-laborer employee wages span $16.87–$37.54/hr, or $35,090–$78,090/year. Duties can include moving materials, preparing work areas and supporting crews. These figures do not cover every warehouse, factory or maintenance laborer. Match the occupation before comparing an offer. Location, employer and duties affect pay; editorial experience labels do not establish registered-apprentice rates or legal trade grades.

Hourly rates by level in USA

What general laborers 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

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

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

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add credentials, 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 General Laborer
USA · Day Shift
Base rate$23.65
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.38
+ First Aid/CPR (OSHA-aligned)$0.25
Effective hourly$24.28
Straight · 40 hrs$971
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$291
Weekly gross$1,262
Annualised · 50 weeks
$63,115
8 OT hrs/week · USA

Who pays the most in USA

Road support, commercial materials handling and specialty site services are ranked by national construction-laborer medians. Traffic, congested areas and changing locations distinguish these selected construction settings; the comparison is not a nationwide exhaustive ranking.

01 / 03$24.08/hr

Highway, Street and Bridge Construction

General support on road and bridge projects.

+ Infrastructure experience
+ Crew coordination
– Traffic exposure
– Weather interruptions
02 / 03$24.01/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Material handling and site support on commercial projects.

+ Varied sites
+ Trade exposure
– Congested areas
– Schedule pressure
03 / 03$22.79/hr

Other Specialty Trade Contractors

Support for specialist site and construction services.

+ Diverse tasks
+ Practical learning
– Changing locations
– Uneven workloads

Which states pay general laborers 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. 01Arizona$36/hr
  2. 02California$28.98/hr
  3. 03Virginia$20.94/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
Forklift Operator Certification+$0.75$1,560$1154 weeks
Traffic Flagger Certification+$0.38$790$604 weeks
Fall Protection Competent Person+$0.75$1,560$1625 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.38$790$906 weeks
First Aid/CPR (OSHA-aligned)+$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 Saturday labor automatically earn time-and-a-half?▾
No. Under federal rules, overtime generally depends on hours worked in the defined workweek, not the day name. A covered, nonexempt employee normally earns overtime after 40 hours. State rules, agreements or policies may provide additional premiums; ask which terms apply.
When does pay start if our labor crew meets at a yard?▾
Required loading, collecting supplies or other job duties can start the paid day before site arrival. Ordinary commuting is different. Ask whether the yard meeting is optional transport or a required work assignment, and record the actual duties and timing.
Do day-rate laborers have overtime rights?▾
Payment by the day does not itself remove federal overtime rights. Covered, nonexempt workers remain entitled to applicable minimum wages and overtime. Ask how payroll records hours and calculates the regular rate.

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Current BLS national construction laborer employee wages, SOC 47-2061; this guide covers general labor on construction sites.

Last updated October 15, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.