General Laborer Salary in Virginia

$21/hr

Virginia construction support wages help you compare cleanup, material handling and temporary assignments with clearly defined construction employee duties.

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What General Laborers Earn in Virginia

Virginia construction laborer wages span $15.82–$27.46/hr, or $32,900–$57,110 a year. These employee figures cover construction site work, including general crew support. Premium pay and benefits are excluded. Match an offer to cleanup, material handling and site preparation duties. Warehouse or production labor needs a different comparison, even when the advertised job title is identical. Write down the tasks first so the comparison follows the work you will actually perform.

Hourly rates by level in Virginia

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

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$15.82–$17.80/hr
▲ 8.33% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$17.80–$22.86/hr
▲ 8.33% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$22.86–$27.46/hr
▲ 8.33% 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 General Laborer
Virginia · Day Shift
Base rate$20.33
+ West Virginia Laborers' Training Trust Fund / LIUNA Local 980 Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$0.52
+ OSHA 30-Hour Construction$0.65
+ OSHA 10-Hour General Industry$0.22
Effective hourly$21.72
Straight · 40 hrs$869
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$261
Weekly gross$1,129
Annualised · 50 weeks
$56,472
8 OT hrs/week · Virginia

Who pays the most in Virginia

These national construction-laborer comparisons cover highway crews, commercial sites and staffing assignments relevant to workers seeking construction support jobs across Virginia construction sites.

01 / 03$24.08/hr

Highway and Bridge Construction

Road crews need materials delivered around moving equipment. Ask Virginia employers about shift notices and weather-related changes before accepting highway support assignments. Include the reporting location and notice arrangements for a canceled shift.

+ Infrastructure experience
+ Team routines
– Traffic exposure
– Weather interruptions
02 / 03$24.01/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial building work puts cleanup and supply handling alongside several trades. Ask who coordinates deliveries and keeps shared access routes clear. Discuss how the crew records required cleanup after other trades finish working.

+ Trade exposure
+ Varied projects
– Congested access
– Delivery pressure
03 / 03$17.44/hr

Employment Services

Staffing firms supply workers for temporary construction support. Agree the reporting site, payroll contact and expected assignment length with the agency. Keep each written assignment notice beside your own daily time record.

+ Assignment variety
+ Employer exposure
– Changing sites
– Uneven hours

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. 03Virginiathis page$20.94/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
West Virginia Laborers' Training Trust Fund / LIUNA Local 980 Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$0.52$1,082$00 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$0.65$1,352$1597 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.22$458$597 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour General Industry+$0.22$458$597 weeks
Forklift / Rough-Terrain Forklift Operator (formal instruction)+$0.07$146$5922 weeks
American Red Cross Adult First Aid/CPR/AED+$0.08$166$10232 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $20.94/hr.

40 hr week
$838
No OT
50 hr week
$1,152
+$15,705/yr
60 hr week
$1,466
+$31,410/yr
70 hr week
$1,780
+$47,115/yr

Questions workers ask

If I break my hard hat on the job, will I pay for its replacement?▾
No. VOSH adopts the federal construction rule requiring employers to pay for replacement protective equipment, unless you lost it or intentionally damaged it. Report damaged gear promptly so the replacement is documented.
Do Virginia public works jobs set a minimum laborer rate?▾
Yes, on covered state-funded public works contracts over $250,000 and on local projects where an ordinance applies. Virginia's prevailing wage law requires at least the Commissioner of Labor and Industry's rate for each classification, and contractors must post those rates at the site.
Does loading at the yard count toward overtime?▾
Yes. Assigned yard loading is work, and it counts toward the 40-hour workweek threshold under Virginia's overtime law, which applies the federal standard to covered nonexempt employees. Ordinary home-to-work commuting has different rules. Keep records that show when loading starts and when the day's duties end.

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

Last updated October 27, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.