Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in Arkansas

Median $18.09 an hour for 10,650 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$18.09/hrMedian hourly wageArkansas, May data
$37,630/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$14.83 – $23.2710th to 90th percentilehourly range
10,650Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Construction laborer pay in Arkansas: the full range

Wage percentiles, ArkansasMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrArkansas: 10th $14.83 · 25th $16.63 · median $18.09 · 75th $21.31 · 90th $23.27Arkansas$18.09$14.83$23.27United States: 10th $16.87 · 25th $18.57 · median $22.66 · 75th $28.72 · 90th $37.54United States$22.66
Hourly wage percentiles for construction laborers: Arkansas vs United States, May 2025.

Arkansas ranks 50th of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 45th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $20.82). 10,650 construction laborers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$14.83 – $16.63$30,850 – $34,590roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$16.63 – $21.31$34,590 – $44,320the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$21.31 – $23.27$44,320 – $48,410the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in Arkansas

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrMemphis: $21.54Memphis$21.54Fayetteville: $18.93Fayetteville$18.93Jonesboro: $18.26Jonesboro$18.26Little Rock: $17.88Little Rock$17.88Fort Smith: $17.77Fort Smith$17.77Texarkana: $17.48Texarkana$17.48Hot Springs: $16.75Hot Springs$16.75
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in Arkansas, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Memphis$16.81$21.54$31.133,94019% above
Fayetteville$16.72$18.93$24.032,1905% above
Jonesboro$14.27$18.26$23.903901% above
Little Rock$15.22$17.88$23.302,7901% below
Fort Smith$14.49$17.77$22.826702% below
Texarkana$13.39$17.48$22.774503% below
Hot Springs$12.98$16.75$22.693307% below

Construction laborer wages in Arkansas over time

Arkansas, 1999-2025ArkansasUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$5$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$22.66United States$18.09Arkansas
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, Arkansas vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearArkansas $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$8.59$16.60$10.853,780
2000$9.23$17.26$11.154,670
2001$9.39$17.07$11.574,280
2002$9.86$17.65$11.904,260
2003$9.75$17.06$11.864,610
2004$9.62$16.40$12.104,360
2005$9.80$16.15$12.225,220
2006$10.56$16.86$12.665,770
2007$11.49$17.84$13.13—
2008$12.00$17.94$13.71—
2009$11.79$17.69$14.01—
2010$11.07$16.34$14.087,480
2011$11.27$16.13$14.307,890
2012$11.06$15.51$14.428,660
2013$11.67$16.13$14.647,420
2014$11.38$15.48$14.957,280
2015$11.59$15.74$15.347,490
2016$11.65$15.63$16.077,500
2017$12.68$16.65$16.606,650
2018$13.45$17.24$17.215,340
2019$14.02$17.66$17.725,120
2020$14.54$18.09$18.225,680
2021$14.38$17.09$18.167,920
2022$16.46$18.11$19.598,480
2023$17.21$18.18$21.788,860
2024$17.80$18.27$22.478,910
2025$18.09$18.09$22.6610,650

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in Arkansas changed by +14.9% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in Arkansas

On federally funded construction in Arkansas, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 75 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $11.72). 75 of the 75 counties still use a survey rate dated 2017 or earlier (for example Arkansas County at $10.63). The market median for the state is $18.09.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ARArkansas: $10.63 (survey)Ashley: $10.63 (survey)Baxter: $11.72 (survey)Benton: $13.87 (survey)Boone: $11.72 (survey)Bradley: $10.63 (survey)Calhoun: $12.84 (survey)Carroll: $11.72 (survey)Chicot: $10.63 (survey)Clark: $12.84 (survey)Clay: $11.12 (survey)Cleburne: $11.12 (survey)Cleveland: $10.80 (survey)Columbia: $12.84 (survey)Conway: $11.72 (survey)Craighead: $10.61 (survey)Crawford: $13.56 (survey)Crittenden: $10.80 (survey)Cross: $11.12 (survey)Dallas: $12.84 (survey)Desha: $10.63 (survey)Drew: $10.63 (survey)Faulkner: $12.69 (survey)Franklin: $11.72 (survey)Fulton: $11.12 (survey)Garland: $15.01 (survey)Grant: $12.88 (survey)Greene: $10.00 (survey)Hempstead: $12.84 (survey)Hot Spring: $12.63 (survey)Howard: $12.84 (survey)Independence: $11.91 (survey)Izard: $11.12 (survey)Jackson: $11.12 (survey)Jefferson: $10.80 (survey)Johnson: $11.72 (survey)Lafayette: $12.84 (survey)Lawrence: $11.12 (survey)Lee: $11.12 (survey)Lincoln: $10.80 (survey)Little River: $11.29 (survey)Logan: $11.72 (survey)Lonoke: $12.88 (survey)Madison: $13.69 (survey)Marion: $11.72 (survey)Miller: $11.29 (survey)Mississippi: $11.12 (survey)Monroe: $11.12 (survey)Montgomery: $12.84 (survey)Nevada: $12.84 (survey)Newton: $11.72 (survey)Ouachita: $12.84 (survey)Perry: $12.88 (survey)Phillips: $10.63 (survey)Pike: $12.84 (survey)Poinsett: $10.61 (survey)Polk: $10.73 (survey)Pope: $14.54 (survey)Prairie: $10.63 (survey)Pulaski: $12.85 (survey)Randolph: $11.12 (survey)St. Francis: $11.12 (survey)Saline: $12.88 (survey)Scott: $11.72 (survey)Searcy: $11.72 (survey)Sebastian: $11.53 (survey)Sevier: $12.84 (survey)Sharp: $11.12 (survey)Stone: $11.12 (survey)Union: $15.50 (survey)Van Buren: $11.72 (survey)Washington: $13.47 (survey)White: $11.12 (survey)Woodruff: $11.12 (survey)Yell: $12.18 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$10.80$11.12$11.72$12.84survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for construction laborers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$5$10$15$20$25/hrGarland (Hot Springs): market median $16.75, prevailing (survey) $15.01, gap −$1.74Garland (Hot Springs)−$1.74Crawford (Fort Smith): market median $17.77, prevailing (survey) $13.56, gap −$4.21Crawford (Fort Smith)−$4.21Grant (Little Rock): market median $17.88, prevailing (survey) $12.88, gap −$5.00Grant (Little Rock)−$5.00Benton (Fayetteville): market median $18.93, prevailing (survey) $13.87, gap −$5.06Benton (Fayetteville)−$5.06Little River (Texarkana): market median $17.48, prevailing (survey) $11.29, gap −$6.19Little River (Texarkana)−$6.19Craighead (Jonesboro): market median $18.26, prevailing (survey) $10.61, gap −$7.65Craighead (Jonesboro)−$7.65Crittenden (Memphis): market median $21.54, prevailing (survey) $10.80, gap −$10.74Crittenden (Memphis)−$10.74
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in Arkansas.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
UnionSurvey SUAR2015-010 2017-01-09$15.50$0.00$15.50AR20260013
GarlandSurvey SUAR2015-025 2017-01-09$15.01$0.00$15.01AR20260028
PopeSurvey SUAR2015-008 2017-01-09$12.28$2.26$14.54AR20260011
BentonSurvey SUAR2015-020 2017-01-09$13.87$0.00$13.87AR20260023
MadisonSurvey SUAR2015-027 2017-01-09$13.69$0.00$13.69AR20260030
CrawfordSurvey SUAR2015-022 2017-01-09$13.56$0.00$13.56AR20260025
WashingtonSurvey SUAR2015-032 2017-01-09$13.47$0.00$13.47AR20260035
GrantSurvey SUAR2015-034 2017-01-09$12.88$0.00$12.88AR20260037
LonokeSurvey SUAR2015-026 2017-01-09$12.88$0.00$12.88AR20260029
PerrySurvey SUAR2015-034 2017-01-09$12.88$0.00$12.88AR20260037
SalineSurvey SUAR2015-030 2017-01-09$12.88$0.00$12.88AR20260033
PulaskiSurvey SUAR2015-029 2017-01-09$12.85$0.00$12.85AR20260032
CalhounSurvey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09$12.84$0.00$12.84AR20260020
ClarkSurvey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09$12.84$0.00$12.84AR20260020
ColumbiaSurvey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09$12.84$0.00$12.84AR20260020

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Arkansas prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Arkansas?

68.3kConstruction jobsArkansas, 2026-08
+2.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k1990199520002005201020152020202568kAug 2026
Construction employment in Arkansas (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at specialty trade contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just construction laborers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Mississippi County932$85,257$1,640
Union County648$82,147$1,580
Lawrence County128$80,802$1,554
Grant County319$79,574$1,530
Pulaski County6,605$70,446$1,355
Greene County371$66,953$1,288
Washington County5,917$66,623$1,281
Craighead County1,879$65,719$1,264
Benton County5,746$65,634$1,262
Conway County444$64,241$1,235
Little River County27$63,193$1,215
Pope County661$62,920$1,210

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Arkansas

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in Arkansas?

The median construction laborer in Arkansas earned $18.09 an hour ($37,630 a year) in May 2025, 20% below the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $16.63–$21.31; the top 10% earn more than $23.27.

Where does Arkansas rank for construction laborer pay?

Arkansas ranks 50th of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $18.09 an hour, and 45th after adjusting for Arkansas's cost of living (BEA price parity 86.9, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in Arkansas?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a construction laborer classification for most Arkansas counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many construction laborers work in Arkansas?

BLS counted 10,650 construction laborers in Arkansas in May 2025, 8.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.16; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Arkansas and metro areas, SOC 47-2061.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.