Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in Colorado

Median $23.03 an hour for 18,680 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$23.03/hrMedian hourly wageColorado, May data
$47,900/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.47 – $29.8110th to 90th percentilehourly range
18,680Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Construction laborer pay in Colorado: the full range

Wage percentiles, ColoradoMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrColorado: 10th $18.47 · 25th $20.53 · median $23.03 · 75th $27.25 · 90th $29.81Colorado$23.03$18.47$29.81United 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: Colorado vs United States, May 2025.

Colorado ranks 26th of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 36th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $22.34). 18,680 construction laborers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.47 – $20.53$38,410 – $42,700roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$20.53 – $27.25$42,700 – $56,670the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$27.25 – $29.81$56,670 – $62,010the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in Colorado

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrDenver: $23.44Denver$23.44Boulder: $23.07Boulder$23.07Fort Collins: $22.86Fort Collins$22.86Colorado Springs: $22.28Colorado Springs$22.28Greeley: $22.19Greeley$22.19Pueblo: $21.89Pueblo$21.89Grand Junction: $21.51Grand Junction$21.51
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in Colorado, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Denver$18.74$23.44$30.329,6502% above
Boulder$18.35$23.07$32.00540about the same as
Fort Collins$18.17$22.86$30.019301% below
Colorado Springs$18.09$22.28$28.991,7903% below
Greeley$18.46$22.19$30.001,4304% below
Pueblo$18.37$21.89$27.995305% below
Grand Junction$17.33$21.51$40.285707% below

Construction laborer wages in Colorado over time

Colorado, 1999-2025ColoradoUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$5$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$23.03Colorado$22.66United States
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, Colorado vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearColorado $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$10.47$20.23$10.8517,530
2000$10.61$19.84$11.1520,590
2001$11.39$20.71$11.5718,590
2002$11.91$21.31$11.9017,990
2003$12.07$21.12$11.8617,030
2004$12.34$21.03$12.1017,640
2005$12.29$20.26$12.2219,210
2006$12.42$19.83$12.6621,650
2007$13.02$20.22$13.1322,440
2008$13.74$20.55$13.7122,620
2009$14.30$21.46$14.0118,930
2010$14.51$21.42$14.0815,770
2011$14.58$20.87$14.3015,600
2012$14.82$20.78$14.4215,100
2013$14.53$20.08$14.6416,340
2014$14.77$20.09$14.9518,860
2015$15.43$20.96$15.3420,630
2016$16.27$21.82$16.0720,620
2017$16.75$22.00$16.6021,250
2018$17.05$21.86$17.2120,910
2019$17.65$22.23$17.7222,060
2020$18.32$22.79$18.2221,210
2021$18.31$21.75$18.1620,590
2022$19.92$21.91$19.5920,740
2023$21.91$23.15$21.7820,800
2024$22.41$23.00$22.4719,230
2025$23.03$23.03$22.6618,680

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in Colorado changed by +9.9% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in Colorado

On federally funded construction in Colorado, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 64 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $9.75). 64 of the 64 counties still use a survey rate dated 2015 or earlier (for example Adams County at $19.17). The market median for the state is $23.03.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, COAdams: $19.17 (survey)Alamosa: $9.75 (survey)Arapahoe: $19.75 (survey)Archuleta: $9.75 (survey)Baca: $9.75 (survey)Bent: $9.75 (survey)Boulder: $11.76 (survey)Broomfield: $19.84 (survey)Chaffee: $9.75 (survey)Cheyenne: $9.75 (survey)Clear Creek: $19.84 (survey)Conejos: $9.75 (survey)Costilla: $9.75 (survey)Crowley: $9.75 (survey)Custer: $9.75 (survey)Delta: $9.75 (survey)Denver: $19.71 (survey)Dolores: $9.75 (survey)Douglas: $20.99 (survey)Eagle: $9.75 (survey)Elbert: $19.84 (survey)El Paso: $14.80 (survey)Fremont: $9.75 (survey)Garfield: $9.75 (survey)Gilpin: $19.84 (survey)Grand: $9.75 (survey)Gunnison: $9.75 (survey)Hinsdale: $9.75 (survey)Huerfano: $9.75 (survey)Jackson: $9.75 (survey)Jefferson: $20.77 (survey)Kiowa: $9.75 (survey)Kit Carson: $9.75 (survey)Lake: $9.75 (survey)La Plata: $9.75 (survey)Larimer: $16.67 (survey)Las Animas: $9.75 (survey)Lincoln: $9.75 (survey)Logan: $9.75 (survey)Mesa: $13.25 (survey)Mineral: $9.75 (survey)Moffat: $9.75 (survey)Montezuma: $9.75 (survey)Montrose: $9.75 (survey)Morgan: $9.75 (survey)Otero: $9.75 (survey)Ouray: $9.75 (survey)Park: $19.84 (survey)Phillips: $9.75 (survey)Pitkin: $9.75 (survey)Prowers: $9.75 (survey)Pueblo: $15.03 (survey)Rio Blanco: $9.75 (survey)Rio Grande: $9.75 (survey)Routt: $9.75 (survey)Saguache: $9.75 (survey)San Juan: $9.75 (survey)San Miguel: $9.75 (survey)Sedgwick: $9.75 (survey)Summit: $9.75 (survey)Teller: $14.80 (survey)Washington: $9.75 (survey)Weld: $14.00 (survey)Yuma: $9.75 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$14.80survey 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)$10$15$20$25/hrDouglas (Denver): market median $23.44, prevailing (survey) $20.99, gap −$2.45Douglas (Denver)−$2.45Larimer (Fort Collins): market median $22.86, prevailing (survey) $16.67, gap −$6.19Larimer (Fort Collins)−$6.19Pueblo (Pueblo): market median $21.89, prevailing (survey) $15.03, gap −$6.86Pueblo (Pueblo)−$6.86El Paso (Colorado Springs): market median $22.28, prevailing (survey) $14.80, gap −$7.48El Paso (Colorado Springs)−$7.48Weld (Greeley): market median $22.19, prevailing (survey) $14.00, gap −$8.19Weld (Greeley)−$8.19Mesa (Grand Junction): market median $21.51, prevailing (survey) $13.25, gap −$8.26Mesa (Grand Junction)−$8.26Boulder (Boulder): market median $23.07, prevailing (survey) $11.76, gap −$11.31Boulder (Boulder)−$11.31
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in Colorado.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
DouglasSurvey SUCO2013-007 2015-07-31$16.04$4.95$20.99CO20260021
JeffersonSurvey SUCO2013-009 2015-07-31$15.42$5.35$20.77CO20260023
BroomfieldSurvey SUCO2013-004 2015-07-31$14.86$4.98$19.84CO20260018
Clear CreekSurvey SUCO2013-005 2015-07-31$14.86$4.98$19.84CO20260019
ElbertSurvey SUCO2013-016 2015-07-31$14.86$4.98$19.84CO20260030
GilpinSurvey SUCO2013-016 2015-07-31$14.86$4.98$19.84CO20260030
ParkSurvey SUCO2013-012 2015-07-31$14.86$4.98$19.84CO20260026
ArapahoeSurvey SUCO2013-002 2015-07-31$15.21$4.54$19.75CO20260016
DenverSurvey SUCO2013-006 2015-07-31$14.49$5.22$19.71CO20260020
AdamsSurvey SUCO2013-001 2015-07-31$14.93$4.24$19.17CO20260015
LarimerSurvey SUCO2013-010 2015-07-31$13.87$2.80$16.67CO20260024
PuebloSurvey SUCO2013-013 2015-07-31$13.67$1.36$15.03CO20260027
El PasoSurvey SUCO2013-008 2015-07-31$13.40$1.40$14.80CO20260022
TellerSurvey SUCO2013-014 2015-07-31$13.40$1.40$14.80CO20260028
WeldSurvey SUCO2013-015 2015-07-31$14.00$0.00$14.00CO20260029

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

Is construction work growing in Colorado?

191.1kConstruction jobsColorado, 2026-08
+1.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k50k100k150k200k250k19901995200020052010201520202025191kAug 2026
Construction employment in Colorado (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
Denver County13,814$88,160$1,695
Jefferson County12,463$84,364$1,622
Adams County19,605$83,598$1,608
Arapahoe County14,058$82,624$1,589
Douglas County6,506$80,059$1,540
Eagle County2,741$77,396$1,488
Boulder County3,183$75,142$1,445
Broomfield County826$73,547$1,414
Summit County938$73,255$1,409
Grand County541$72,999$1,404
Weld County7,458$72,660$1,397
Larimer County7,322$72,635$1,397

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Colorado

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in Colorado?

The median construction laborer in Colorado earned $23.03 an hour ($47,900 a year) in May 2025, 2% above the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $20.53–$27.25; the top 10% earn more than $29.81.

Where does Colorado rank for construction laborer pay?

Colorado ranks 26th of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $23.03 an hour, and 36th after adjusting for Colorado's cost of living (BEA price parity 103.1, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in Colorado?

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

How many construction laborers work in Colorado?

BLS counted 18,680 construction laborers in Colorado in May 2025, 6.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.92; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Colorado 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.