Construction and Extraction · Holland code RCI

Construction Laborers

Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris, and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers.

Also called: Construction Laborer, Construction Worker, Equipment Operator (EO), Post Framer, Bituminous Asphalt Technician, Drop Crew Laborer, Form Setter, Scaffolding Operator.

O*NET 47-2061.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $47,120; Middle half earn $38,620 to $59,740. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 35% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.
Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.
Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes.
Perform site activities required of green certified construction practices, such as implementing waste management procedures, identifying materials for reuse, or installing erosion or sedimentation control mechanisms.
Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones.
Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment.
Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Speaking3.3 / 5
Active Listening3.1 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.8 / 5
Critical Thinking2.8 / 5
Monitoring2.6 / 5
Writing2.3 / 5

Knowledge areas

Building and Construction4.0 / 5
Public Safety and Security3.2 / 5
Mechanical3.0 / 5
Customer and Personal Service2.8 / 5
Education and Training2.4 / 5
Administration and Management2.3 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative28
Artistic6
Social4
Enterprising6
Conventional44

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

concrete finisher · DE Betonoberflächenfertiger/Betonoberflächenfertigerin · FR cimentier enduiseur/cimentière enduiseuse
demolition worker · DE Bauwerksmechaniker für Abbruch und Betontrenntechnik/Bauwerksmechanikerin für Abbruch und Betontrenntechnik · FR démolisseur/démolisseuse
excavator operator · DE Baggerführer/Baggerführerin · FR conducteur d’excavatrice/conductrice d’excavatrice
road construction worker · DE Straßenbaumaschinenführer/Straßenbaumaschinenführerin · FR ouvrier en voiries/ouvrière en voiries
civil engineering worker · DE Tiefbauhelfer/Tiefbauhelferin · FR ouvrier génie civil/ouvrière génie civil
rail layer · DE Gleisbauerhelfer/Gleisbauerhelferin · FR poseur de voies ferrées/poseuse de voies ferrées

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Groundworkers (9121)33,500 employed
Road construction operatives (8152)13,400 employed
Elementary construction occupations n.e.c. (9129)91,600 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Elementary occupations”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Elementary occupations, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€29,579
Sweden	€28,305
Austria	€27,215
Netherlands	€24,577
Ireland	€24,331
Germany	€22,430
Italy	€22,101
France	€21,664
Spain	€17,502
Portugal	€9,424
Poland	€7,534

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.62. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (47-2061).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

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