Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in Maine

Median $22.32 an hour for 3,960 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$22.32/hrMedian hourly wageMaine, May data
$46,430/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.40 – $29.1010th to 90th percentilehourly range
3,960Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Construction laborer pay in Maine: the full range

Wage percentiles, MaineMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrMaine: 10th $17.40 · 25th $19.51 · median $22.32 · 75th $25.51 · 90th $29.10Maine$22.32$17.40$29.10United 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: Maine vs United States, May 2025.

Maine ranks 32nd of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 32nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $23.01). 3,960 construction laborers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.7× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$17.40 – $19.51$36,190 – $40,570roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$19.51 – $25.51$40,570 – $53,070the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$25.51 – $29.10$53,070 – $60,520the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in Maine

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrPortland: $23.31Portland$23.31Lewiston: $22.06Lewiston$22.06Bangor: $21.35Bangor$21.35
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in Maine, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Portland$17.44$23.31$22.88$29.721,4704% above
Lewiston$16.62$22.06$23.29$29.483301% below
Bangor$16.20$21.35$22.12$26.795304% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Construction laborer wages in Maine over time

Maine, 1999-2025MaineUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$5$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$22.66United States$22.32Maine
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, Maine vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearMaine $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$9.01$17.41$10.852,430
2000$9.76$18.25$11.153,190
2001$9.98$18.14$11.573,120
2002$10.05$17.99$11.903,240
2003$10.48$18.34$11.863,300
2004$10.59$18.05$12.102,990
2005$11.85$19.53$12.222,610
2006$11.96$19.10$12.663,250
2007$12.82$19.91$13.133,020
2008$13.29$19.87$13.713,230
2009$13.16$19.75$14.012,790
2010$12.95$19.12$14.082,810
2011$13.35$19.11$14.302,650
2012$13.63$19.11$14.422,900
2013$13.76$19.02$14.642,940
2014$13.83$18.81$14.952,940
2015$14.02$19.04$15.342,560
2016$14.51$19.46$16.072,570
2017$14.77$19.40$16.602,650
2018$15.43$19.78$17.212,980
2019$16.32$20.55$17.723,150
2020$17.10$21.27$18.222,940
2021$17.87$21.23$18.163,170
2022$18.66$20.53$19.593,460
2023$20.81$21.99$21.783,130
2024$21.90$22.48$22.473,180
2025$22.32$22.32$22.663,960

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in Maine changed by +17.2% over the last ten years of data and by +8.6% since 2019.

Are there more construction laborer jobs in Maine?

+25.7%Jobs since 20193,150 then, 3,960 in 2025
+54.7%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
6.2Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.9× the US share, 37th of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of construction laborers counted in Maine has changed by +63.0%, against +43.7% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +25.7%.

Construction laborers in Maine vs United States, 1999 = 100MaineUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages80100120140160180200020052010201520202025163Maine144United States
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, Maine vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearMaine jobsMaine indexUS index
19992,430100100
20003,190131108
20013,120128108
20023,240133109
20033,300136110
20042,990123112
20052,610107122
20063,250134133
20073,020124138
20083,230133134
20092,790115112
20102,810116102
20112,650109102
20122,900119107
20132,940121108
20142,940121112
20152,560105116
20162,570106120
20172,650109126
20182,980123131
20193,150130134
20202,940121127
20213,170130127
20223,460142133
20233,130129134
20243,180131138
20253,960163144

Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.

Outlook for construction laborers in Maine

+0.3%Projected growth in Maine2024–2034, state agency
370Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
4,740Jobs in 20244,750 projected for 2034
+7.3%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Maine's labor market agency projects the number of construction laborers in the state to change by +0.3% between 2024 and 2034, from 4,740 to 4,750, with about 370 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +7.3% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 3,960 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Maine labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in Maine

On federally funded construction in Maine, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 15 of the 16 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $41.62 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $30.04). The market median for the state is $22.32.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, MEAndroscoggin: $30.04 (survey)Aroostook: $41.62 (union)Cumberland: $41.62 (union)Franklin: $41.62 (union)Hancock: $41.62 (union)Kennebec: $41.62 (union)Knox: $41.62 (union)Lincoln: $41.62 (union)Oxford: $41.62 (union)Penobscot: $41.62 (union)Piscataquis: $41.62 (union)Sagadahoc: $41.62 (union)Somerset: $41.62 (union)Waldo: $41.62 (union)Washington: $41.62 (union)York: $41.62 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hrsurvey 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/hrPenobscot (Bangor): market median $21.35, prevailing (union) $41.62, gap +$20.27Penobscot (Bangor)+$20.27Cumberland (Portland): market median $23.31, prevailing (union) $41.62, gap +$18.31Cumberland (Portland)+$18.31Androscoggin (Lewiston): market median $22.06, prevailing (survey) $30.04, gap +$7.98Androscoggin (Lewiston)+$7.98
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in Maine.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AroostookUnion LABO0327-003 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260006
CumberlandUnion LABO0327-004 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260050
FranklinUnion LABO0327-003 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260007
HancockUnion LABO0327-003 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260008
KennebecUnion LABO0327-003 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260009
KnoxUnion LABO0327-003 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260010
LincolnUnion LABO0327-003 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260014
OxfordUnion LABO0327-003 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260014
PenobscotUnion LABO0327-004 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260051
PiscataquisUnion LABO0327-003 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260011
SagadahocUnion LABO0327-004 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260052
SomersetUnion LABO0327-003 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260012
WaldoUnion LABO0327-003 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260014
WashingtonUnion LABO0327-003 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260013
YorkUnion LABO0327-004 2023-12-01$21.90$19.72$41.62ME20260053

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Maine prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Maine?

36.2kConstruction jobsMaine, 2026-09
-0.8%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202610k20k30k40k1990199520002005201020152020202536kSep 2026
Construction employment in Maine (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. Across the 15 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 16,816 in 2015 to 21,935 in 2025, +30.4%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Cumberland County9066,379$81,283$1,563
Androscoggin County3332,515$76,181$1,465
Penobscot County3682,673$74,649$1,436
Kennebec County3161,887$67,949$1,307
York County6652,786$67,273$1,294
Aroostook County118638$65,825$1,266
Somerset County130583$65,115$1,252
Franklin County96414$61,850$1,189
Waldo County110568$60,329$1,160
Sagadahoc County108474$60,170$1,157
Hancock County2001,041$60,086$1,155
Knox County129616$59,495$1,144

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Maine

More on Maine

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in Maine?

The median construction laborer in Maine earned $22.32 an hour ($46,430 a year) in May 2025, 2% below the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $19.51–$25.51; the top 10% earn more than $29.10.

Where does Maine rank for construction laborer pay?

Maine ranks 32nd of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $22.32 an hour, and 32nd after adjusting for Maine's cost of living (BEA price parity 97.0, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in Maine?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for construction laborers in 15 counties, with a typical package of $41.62 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many construction laborers work in Maine?

BLS counted 3,960 construction laborers in Maine in May 2025, 6.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.88; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is construction laborer work growing in Maine?

The BLS employer survey count of construction laborers in Maine went from 2,560 in 2015 to 3,960 in 2025, +54.7%, and +25.7% since 2019. Maine's labor market agency projects +0.3% growth for construction laborers between 2024 and 2034, from 4,740 to 4,750 jobs.

How many construction laborer openings a year are there in Maine?

Maine projects about 370 openings a year for construction laborers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 120,000 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Maine and metro areas, SOC 47-2061. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Maine labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.