Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in Kansas

Median $21.56 an hour for 9,990 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$21.56/hrMedian hourly wageKansas, May data
$44,840/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$15.14 – $28.8810th to 90th percentilehourly range
9,990Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Construction laborer pay in Kansas: the full range

Wage percentiles, KansasMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrKansas: 10th $15.14 · 25th $17.94 · median $21.56 · 75th $23.66 · 90th $28.88Kansas$21.56$15.14$28.88United 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: Kansas vs United States, May 2025.

Kansas ranks 38th of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 24th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $23.93). 9,990 construction laborers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$15.14 – $17.94$31,500 – $37,310roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$17.94 – $23.66$37,310 – $49,210the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$23.66 – $28.88$49,210 – $60,070the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in Kansas

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrSt. Joseph: $24.88St. Joseph$24.88Kansas City: $24.28Kansas City$24.28Joplin: $23.98Joplin$23.98Manhattan: $22.95Manhattan$22.95Lawrence: $22.92Lawrence$22.92Topeka: $22.15Topeka$22.15Wichita: $19.89Wichita$19.89
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in Kansas, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
St. Joseph$17.90$24.88$37.3228015% above
Kansas City$17.44$24.28$38.546,58013% above
Joplin$17.37$23.98$35.1251011% above
Manhattan$17.19$22.95$28.474206% above
Lawrence$15.89$22.92$34.392806% above
Topeka$15.38$22.15$29.798103% above
Wichita$15.00$19.89$26.672,3008% below

Construction laborer wages in Kansas over time

Kansas, 1999-2025KansasUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$5$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$22.66United States$21.56Kansas
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, Kansas vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearKansas $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$10.40$20.10$10.859,850
2000$10.72$20.04$11.1510,020
2001$10.81$19.65$11.579,920
2002$11.08$19.83$11.909,910
2003$11.05$19.33$11.869,680
2004$11.31$19.28$12.108,920
2005$11.60$19.12$12.229,390
2006$11.94$19.07$12.669,990
2007$12.37$19.21$13.1310,500
2008$13.13$19.63$13.7111,330
2009$13.46$20.20$14.019,400
2010$13.46$19.87$14.088,860
2011$13.42$19.21$14.308,540
2012$13.44$18.85$14.428,180
2013$14.03$19.39$14.647,990
2014$14.50$19.72$14.958,240
2015$14.61$19.84$15.349,280
2016$15.09$20.24$16.0710,030
2017$15.72$20.65$16.6010,610
2018$15.92$20.41$17.2110,130
2019$16.43$20.69$17.729,850
2020$16.91$21.03$18.228,590
2021$17.52$20.82$18.169,610
2022$17.99$19.79$19.599,680
2023$18.84$19.91$21.788,410
2024$21.54$22.11$22.478,630
2025$21.56$21.56$22.669,990

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in Kansas changed by +8.6% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in Kansas

On federally funded construction in Kansas, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 7 of the 105 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $48.55 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $15.14). 98 of the 105 counties still use a survey rate dated 2015 or earlier (for example Allen County at $15.14). The market median for the state is $21.56.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, KSAllen: $15.14 (survey)Anderson: $15.14 (survey)Atchison: $15.14 (survey)Barber: $15.14 (survey)Barton: $15.14 (survey)Bourbon: $15.14 (survey)Brown: $15.14 (survey)Butler: $14.36 (survey)Chase: $16.89 (survey)Chautauqua: $15.14 (survey)Cherokee: $15.14 (survey)Cheyenne: $15.14 (survey)Clark: $15.14 (survey)Clay: $15.14 (survey)Cloud: $15.14 (survey)Coffey: $15.14 (survey)Comanche: $15.14 (survey)Cowley: $15.14 (survey)Crawford: $15.14 (survey)Decatur: $15.14 (survey)Dickinson: $15.14 (survey)Doniphan: $48.55 (union)Douglas: $48.55 (union)Edwards: $15.14 (survey)Elk: $15.14 (survey)Ellis: $15.14 (survey)Ellsworth: $15.14 (survey)Finney: $14.54 (survey)Ford: $15.14 (survey)Franklin: $48.55 (union)Geary: $23.09 (survey)Gove: $15.14 (survey)Graham: $15.14 (survey)Grant: $15.14 (survey)Gray: $15.14 (survey)Greeley: $15.14 (survey)Greenwood: $15.14 (survey)Hamilton: $15.14 (survey)Harper: $15.14 (survey)Harvey: $14.36 (survey)Haskell: $15.14 (survey)Hodgeman: $15.14 (survey)Jackson: $28.73 (survey)Jefferson: $28.73 (survey)Jewell: $15.14 (survey)Johnson: $48.55 (union)Kearny: $12.38 (survey)Kingman: $15.14 (survey)Kiowa: $15.14 (survey)Labette: $15.14 (survey)Lane: $15.14 (survey)Leavenworth: $38.44 (survey)Lincoln: $15.14 (survey)Linn: $48.55 (union)Logan: $15.14 (survey)Lyon: $16.89 (survey)McPherson: $15.14 (survey)Marion: $15.14 (survey)Marshall: $15.14 (survey)Meade: $15.14 (survey)Miami: $48.55 (union)Mitchell: $15.14 (survey)Montgomery: $20.15 (survey)Morris: $15.14 (survey)Morton: $15.14 (survey)Nemaha: $15.14 (survey)Neosho: $15.14 (survey)Ness: $15.14 (survey)Norton: $15.14 (survey)Osage: $28.73 (survey)Osborne: $15.14 (survey)Ottawa: $16.89 (survey)Pawnee: $15.14 (survey)Phillips: $15.14 (survey)Pottawatomie: $15.04 (survey)Pratt: $15.14 (survey)Rawlins: $15.14 (survey)Reno: $15.14 (survey)Republic: $15.14 (survey)Rice: $15.14 (survey)Riley: $15.04 (survey)Rooks: $15.14 (survey)Rush: $15.14 (survey)Russell: $15.14 (survey)Saline: $16.89 (survey)Scott: $12.99 (survey)Sedgwick: $14.60 (survey)Seward: $11.40 (survey)Shawnee: $28.73 (survey)Sheridan: $15.14 (survey)Sherman: $15.14 (survey)Smith: $15.14 (survey)Stafford: $15.14 (survey)Stanton: $15.14 (survey)Stevens: $15.14 (survey)Sumner: $14.36 (survey)Thomas: $15.14 (survey)Trego: $15.14 (survey)Wabaunsee: $28.73 (survey)Wallace: $15.14 (survey)Washington: $15.14 (survey)Wichita: $15.14 (survey)Wilson: $15.14 (survey)Woodson: $15.14 (survey)Wyandotte: $48.55 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$15.14survey 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)$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrDouglas (Lawrence): market median $22.92, prevailing (union) $48.55, gap +$25.63Douglas (Lawrence)+$25.63Johnson (Kansas City): market median $24.28, prevailing (union) $48.55, gap +$24.27Johnson (Kansas City)+$24.27Doniphan (St. Joseph): market median $24.88, prevailing (union) $48.55, gap +$23.67Doniphan (St. Joseph)+$23.67Jackson (Topeka): market median $22.15, prevailing (survey) $28.73, gap +$6.58Jackson (Topeka)+$6.58Geary (Manhattan): market median $22.95, prevailing (survey) $23.09, gap +$0.14Geary (Manhattan)+$0.14Sedgwick (Wichita): market median $19.89, prevailing (survey) $14.60, gap −$5.29Sedgwick (Wichita)−$5.29Cherokee (Joplin): market median $23.98, prevailing (survey) $15.14, gap −$8.84Cherokee (Joplin)−$8.84
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in Kansas.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
DoniphanUnion LABO1290-012 2023-04-01$31.60$16.95$48.55KS20260047
DouglasUnion LABO1290-012 2023-04-01$31.60$16.95$48.55KS20260048
FranklinUnion LABO1290-012 2023-04-01$31.60$16.95$48.55KS20260060
JohnsonUnion LABO1290-012 2023-04-01$31.60$16.95$48.55KS20260052
LinnUnion LABO1290-012 2023-04-01$31.60$16.95$48.55KS20260054
MiamiUnion LABO1290-012 2023-04-01$31.60$16.95$48.55KS20260060
WyandotteUnion LABO1290-012 2023-04-01$31.60$16.95$48.55KS20260060
LeavenworthSurvey SUKS2015-022 2015-07-08$25.49$12.95$38.44KS20260053
JacksonSurvey SUKS2015-030 2015-07-08$19.31$9.42$28.73KS20260061
JeffersonSurvey SUKS2015-020 2015-07-08$19.31$9.42$28.73KS20260051
OsageSurvey SUKS2015-030 2015-07-08$19.31$9.42$28.73KS20260061
ShawneeSurvey SUKS2015-027 2015-07-08$19.31$9.42$28.73KS20260058
WabaunseeSurvey SUKS2015-030 2015-07-08$19.31$9.42$28.73KS20260061
GearySurvey SUKS2015-018 2015-07-08$15.75$7.34$23.09KS20260049
MontgomerySurvey SUKS2015-007 2015-07-08$15.26$4.89$20.15KS20260038

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

Is construction work growing in Kansas?

79.3kConstruction jobsKansas, 2026-08
+4.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k100k1990199520002005201020152020202579kAug 2026
Construction employment in Kansas (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
Ellsworth County158$137,206$2,639
Harper County61$102,952$1,980
Wyandotte County4,490$89,815$1,727
Johnson County13,237$88,059$1,693
Gray County248$87,145$1,676
Wilson County163$82,348$1,584
Coffey County114$74,119$1,425
Shawnee County2,998$72,916$1,402
Geary County98$71,542$1,376
Linn County140$70,156$1,349
Lincoln County39$69,203$1,331
Reno County688$68,672$1,321

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Kansas

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in Kansas?

The median construction laborer in Kansas earned $21.56 an hour ($44,840 a year) in May 2025, 5% below the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $17.94–$23.66; the top 10% earn more than $28.88.

Where does Kansas rank for construction laborer pay?

Kansas ranks 38th of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $21.56 an hour, and 24th after adjusting for Kansas's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.1, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in Kansas?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for construction laborers in 7 counties, with a typical package of $48.55 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many construction laborers work in Kansas?

BLS counted 9,990 construction laborers in Kansas in May 2025, 7.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.99; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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