Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in Iowa

Median $23.31 an hour for 13,780 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$23.31/hrMedian hourly wageIowa, May data
$48,490/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.36 – $33.1210th to 90th percentilehourly range
13,780Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Construction laborer pay in Iowa: the full range

Wage percentiles, IowaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrIowa: 10th $18.36 · 25th $21.90 · median $23.31 · 75th $28.11 · 90th $33.12Iowa$23.31$18.36$33.12United 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: Iowa vs United States, May 2025.

Iowa ranks 25th of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 12th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.55). 13,780 construction laborers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.36 – $21.90$38,180 – $45,560roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$21.90 – $28.11$45,560 – $58,470the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$28.11 – $33.12$58,470 – $68,900the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in Iowa

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrDavenport: $26.14Davenport$26.14Des Moines: $24.03Des Moines$24.03Waterloo: $24.01Waterloo$24.01Ames: $23.95Ames$23.95Dubuque: $23.46Dubuque$23.46Cedar Rapids: $23.40Cedar Rapids$23.40Sioux City: $23.38Sioux City$23.38Omaha: $23.22Omaha$23.22Iowa City: $23.05Iowa City$23.05
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in Iowa, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Davenport$18.29$26.14$37.951,32012% above
Des Moines$19.27$24.03$34.793,5103% above
Waterloo$18.36$24.01$34.867103% above
Ames$19.21$23.95$34.326003% above
Dubuque$18.64$23.46$36.805001% above
Cedar Rapids$18.24$23.40$33.80990about the same as
Sioux City$18.26$23.38$35.76560about the same as
Omaha$17.96$23.22$30.173,990about the same as
Iowa City$18.03$23.05$35.858001% below

Construction laborer wages in Iowa over time

Iowa, 1999-2025IowaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$5$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$23.31Iowa$22.66United States
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, Iowa vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIowa $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$10.50$20.29$10.858,640
2000$11.18$20.90$11.157,690
2001$11.80$21.45$11.578,510
2002$11.99$21.46$11.908,930
2003$12.13$21.22$11.868,870
2004$13.03$22.21$12.109,920
2005$13.12$21.63$12.2211,050
2006$13.97$22.31$12.6610,280
2007$14.05$21.82$13.138,570
2008$14.41$21.55$13.718,070
2009$14.33$21.50$14.018,500
2010$14.13$20.86$14.088,790
2011$14.31$20.48$14.3010,570
2012$14.49$20.32$14.4211,770
2013$14.69$20.30$14.6411,940
2014$15.16$20.62$14.9512,010
2015$15.57$21.15$15.3412,910
2016$16.32$21.89$16.0713,490
2017$17.04$22.38$16.6013,410
2018$17.47$22.40$17.2112,870
2019$17.79$22.40$17.7212,260
2020$18.02$22.42$18.2211,690
2021$18.48$21.96$18.1612,500
2022$21.83$24.01$19.5911,870
2023$22.42$23.69$21.7812,290
2024$22.93$23.53$22.4713,420
2025$23.31$23.31$22.6613,780

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in Iowa changed by +10.2% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in Iowa

On federally funded construction in Iowa, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 12 of the 99 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $47.35 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $18.44). 87 of the 99 counties still use a survey rate dated 2016 or earlier (for example Adair County at $20.94). The market median for the state is $23.31.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, IAAdair: $20.94 (survey)Adams: $20.94 (survey)Allamakee: $18.44 (survey)Appanoose: $24.18 (survey)Audubon: $20.94 (survey)Benton: $48.15 (union)Black Hawk: $17.19 (survey)Boone: $19.56 (survey)Bremer: $17.03 (survey)Buchanan: $18.44 (survey)Buena Vista: $13.85 (survey)Butler: $18.44 (survey)Calhoun: $13.85 (survey)Carroll: $14.11 (survey)Cass: $20.94 (survey)Cedar: $24.18 (survey)Cerro Gordo: $21.21 (survey)Cherokee: $13.85 (survey)Chickasaw: $18.44 (survey)Clarke: $20.94 (survey)Clay: $13.85 (survey)Clayton: $18.44 (survey)Clinton: $32.66 (survey)Crawford: $20.94 (survey)Dallas: $47.35 (union)Davis: $24.18 (survey)Decatur: $20.94 (survey)Delaware: $18.44 (survey)Des Moines: $14.48 (survey)Dickinson: $16.26 (survey)Dubuque: $43.98 (union)Emmet: $13.85 (survey)Fayette: $18.44 (survey)Floyd: $18.44 (survey)Franklin: $18.44 (survey)Fremont: $20.94 (survey)Greene: $20.94 (survey)Grundy: $17.03 (survey)Guthrie: $47.35 (union)Hamilton: $13.85 (survey)Hancock: $13.85 (survey)Hardin: $18.44 (survey)Harrison: $12.81 (survey)Henry: $24.18 (survey)Howard: $18.44 (survey)Humboldt: $13.85 (survey)Ida: $13.85 (survey)Iowa: $24.18 (survey)Jackson: $24.18 (survey)Jasper: $24.18 (survey)Jefferson: $24.18 (survey)Johnson: $20.76 (survey)Jones: $48.15 (union)Keokuk: $24.18 (survey)Kossuth: $13.85 (survey)Lee: $46.10 (union)Linn: $48.15 (union)Louisa: $24.18 (survey)Lucas: $20.94 (survey)Lyon: $13.85 (survey)Madison: $47.35 (union)Mahaska: $24.18 (survey)Marion: $24.18 (survey)Marshall: $24.18 (survey)Mills: $12.81 (survey)Mitchell: $18.44 (survey)Monona: $20.94 (survey)Monroe: $24.18 (survey)Montgomery: $20.94 (survey)Muscatine: $24.18 (survey)O'Brien: $13.85 (survey)Osceola: $13.85 (survey)Page: $20.94 (survey)Palo Alto: $13.85 (survey)Plymouth: $13.85 (survey)Pocahontas: $13.85 (survey)Polk: $47.35 (union)Pottawattamie: $12.81 (survey)Poweshiek: $24.18 (survey)Ringgold: $20.94 (survey)Sac: $13.85 (survey)Scott: $54.16 (union)Shelby: $20.94 (survey)Sioux: $17.32 (survey)Story: $20.38 (survey)Tama: $24.18 (survey)Taylor: $20.94 (survey)Union: $17.67 (survey)Van Buren: $24.18 (survey)Wapello: $24.18 (survey)Warren: $47.35 (union)Washington: $20.76 (survey)Wayne: $20.94 (survey)Webster: $13.85 (survey)Winnebago: $13.85 (survey)Winneshiek: $18.44 (survey)Woodbury: $36.60 (union)Worth: $18.44 (survey)Wright: $13.85 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$13.85$18.44$20.94$24.18survey 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 (union)Prevailing (survey)$0$20$40$60/hrScott (Davenport): market median $26.14, prevailing (union) $54.16, gap +$28.02Scott (Davenport)+$28.02Benton (Cedar Rapids): market median $23.40, prevailing (union) $48.15, gap +$24.75Benton (Cedar Rapids)+$24.75Dallas (Des Moines): market median $24.03, prevailing (union) $47.35, gap +$23.32Dallas (Des Moines)+$23.32Dubuque (Dubuque): market median $23.46, prevailing (union) $43.98, gap +$20.52Dubuque (Dubuque)+$20.52Woodbury (Sioux City): market median $23.38, prevailing (union) $36.60, gap +$13.22Woodbury (Sioux City)+$13.22Johnson (Iowa City): market median $23.05, prevailing (survey) $20.76, gap −$2.29Johnson (Iowa City)−$2.29Story (Ames): market median $23.95, prevailing (survey) $20.38, gap −$3.57Story (Ames)−$3.57Black Hawk (Waterloo): market median $24.01, prevailing (survey) $17.19, gap −$6.82Black Hawk (Waterloo)−$6.82Harrison (Omaha): market median $23.22, prevailing (survey) $12.81, gap −$10.41Harrison (Omaha)−$10.41
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in Iowa.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
ScottUnion LABO0309-014 2025-05-01$30.06$24.10$54.16IA20260073
BentonUnion LABO0043-004 2025-05-01$28.33$19.82$48.15IA20260078
JonesUnion LABO0043-004 2025-05-01$28.33$19.82$48.15IA20260078
LinnUnion LABO0043-004 2025-05-01$28.33$19.82$48.15IA20260069
DallasUnion LABO0177-010 2025-05-01$29.36$17.99$47.35IA20260064
GuthrieUnion LABO0177-007 2025-05-01$29.36$17.99$47.35IA20260079
MadisonUnion LABO0177-007 2025-05-01$29.36$17.99$47.35IA20260079
PolkUnion LABO0177-010 2025-05-01$29.36$17.99$47.35IA20260071
WarrenUnion LABO0177-010 2025-05-01$29.36$17.99$47.35IA20260075
LeeUnion LABO0538-008 2024-05-01$28.57$17.53$46.10IA20260047
DubuqueUnion LABO0043-001 2025-05-01$25.03$18.95$43.98IA20260065
WoodburyUnion LABO0620-001 2023-05-01$20.40$16.20$36.60IA20260077
ClintonSurvey SUIA2016-011 2016-07-19$21.31$11.35$32.66IA20260038
AppanooseSurvey SUIA2016-005 2016-07-19$17.25$6.93$24.18IA20260032
CedarSurvey SUIA2016-009 2016-07-19$17.25$6.93$24.18IA20260036

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

Is construction work growing in Iowa?

93.8kConstruction jobsIowa, 2026-08
+3.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k100k120k1990199520002005201020152020202594kAug 2026
Construction employment in Iowa (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
Crawford County235$89,187$1,715
Sioux County1,658$88,688$1,706
Scott County4,874$86,416$1,662
Ringgold County83$83,981$1,615
Polk County15,121$83,791$1,611
Linn County6,073$79,926$1,537
Lee County771$79,246$1,524
Jefferson County168$77,394$1,488
Woodbury County2,137$76,259$1,467
Pottawattamie County1,528$76,138$1,464
Webster County663$74,914$1,441
Cass County173$73,664$1,417

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Iowa

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in Iowa?

The median construction laborer in Iowa earned $23.31 an hour ($48,490 a year) in May 2025, 3% above the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $21.90–$28.11; the top 10% earn more than $33.12.

Where does Iowa rank for construction laborer pay?

Iowa ranks 25th of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $23.31 an hour, and 12th after adjusting for Iowa's cost of living (BEA price parity 87.8, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in Iowa?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for construction laborers in 12 counties, with a typical package of $47.35 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many construction laborers work in Iowa?

BLS counted 13,780 construction laborers in Iowa in May 2025, 8.8 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.25; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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