General Laborer Salary in California

$29/hr

California construction laborer employee pay ranges help you assess crew assignments, overtime terms and the scope of each offer.

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What General Laborers Earn in California

California construction laborer employee wages span $19.69–$45.01/hr, or $40,950–$93,620 a year. These figures cover construction work such as site preparation and material handling. They exclude premium pay and benefits. Match an offer to construction duties, then discuss the hours available. A warehouse laborer vacancy needs a different occupation comparison, even when its advertised title sounds similar.

Hourly rates by level in California

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

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$19.69–$23.15/hr
▼ 0.45% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$23.15–$37.75/hr
▼ 0.45% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$37.75–$45.01/hr
▼ 0.45% from last year

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Where do you stand?

Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other general laborers in California.

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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 General Laborer
California · Day Shift
Base rate$30.45
+ SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$4.83
+ 40-Hour HAZWOPER$3.00
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.73
Effective hourly$39.01
Straight · 40 hrs$1,560
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$468
Weekly gross$2,029
Annualised · 50 weeks
$101,426
8 OT hrs/week · California

Who pays the most in California

These national construction laborer medians cover three sectors relevant to California projects. Ask about the assignment behind each offer.

01 / 03$24.08/hr

Highway and Bridge Construction

Road crews need laborers for asphalt support and material movement. Discuss traffic protection, closure hours and travel between California road projects.

+ Infrastructure skills
+ Outdoor work
– Traffic exposure
– Weather delays
02 / 03$24.01/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial building work involves moving supplies through busy sites. Ask who coordinates deliveries and keeps access clear alongside other construction trades.

+ Trade exposure
+ Varied buildings
– Congested access
– Delivery pressure
03 / 03$22.79/hr

Other Specialty Trade Contractors

Site preparation firms handle excavation and demolition support. Identify the dust controls and equipment boundaries attached to the specific labor assignment.

+ Groundwork experience
+ Task variety
– Dust exposure
– Changing sites

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. 02Californiathis page$28.98/hr
  3. 03Virginia$20.94/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
SoCal Laborers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$4.83$10,046$00 weeks
40-Hour HAZWOPER+$3$6,240$2402 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$2.18$4,534$1592 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.73$1,518$593 weeks
ATSSA Flagger Certification+$0.29$603$12511 weeks
American Red Cross Adult First Aid/CPR/AED+$0.15$312$10217 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $28.98/hr.

40 hr week
$1,159
No OT
50 hr week
$1,594
+$21,735/yr
60 hr week
$2,029
+$43,470/yr
70 hr week
$2,463
+$65,205/yr

Questions workers ask

Is cleanup after the crew finishes paid work?▾
Yes. Required cleanup counts as work under California's construction wage order. Record the time spent gathering tools, loading debris and completing assigned end-of-shift tasks. Ask payroll to include those hours when calculating overtime.
Does a long day earn overtime?▾
Yes, generally after eight hours in a day or 40 in a week. The Labor Commissioner's overtime rules cover nonexempt construction work, with special provisions for alternative workweeks and collective agreements. Keep daily records.
How should I compare two laborer offers?▾
Compare the hourly range with expected hours, paid travel duties, benefits and assignment length. For covered California public works, ask for the applicable prevailing-wage classification. Employees need no CSLB license, so keep contractor billing separate from employee pay. Ask whether required yard loading starts the paid day and how payroll records travel between assigned sites. Keep your own record of those duties.

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Current BLS California employee wages for Construction Laborers, SOC 47-2061; construction-site general labor only, excluding premium pay and benefits.

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