Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in Maryland

Median $22.58 an hour for 20,920 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$22.58/hrMedian hourly wageMaryland, May data
$46,960/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.51 – $29.6510th to 90th percentilehourly range
20,920Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Construction laborer pay in Maryland: the full range

Wage percentiles, MarylandMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrMaryland: 10th $17.51 · 25th $18.98 · median $22.58 · 75th $26.70 · 90th $29.65Maryland$22.58$17.51$29.65United 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: Maryland vs United States, May 2025.

Maryland ranks 28th of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 42nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $21.50). 20,920 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$17.51 – $18.98$36,430 – $39,480roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$18.98 – $26.70$39,480 – $55,540the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$26.70 – $29.65$55,540 – $61,670the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in Maryland

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrPhiladelphia: $26.50Philadelphia$26.50Washington DC: $22.80Washington DC$22.80Baltimore: $22.34Baltimore$22.34Lexington Park: $21.88Lexington Park$21.88Hagerstown: $20.59Hagerstown$20.59Salisbury: $18.65Salisbury$18.65
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in Maryland, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Philadelphia$18.46$26.50$25.83$40.0014,58017% above
Washington DC$17.80$22.80$20.94$30.1917,7101% above
Baltimore$17.38$22.34$21.38$28.7410,5201% below
Lexington Park$17.17$21.88$21.71$29.904503% below
Hagerstown$16.08$20.59$21.86$27.905609% below
Salisbury$16.72$18.65$19.51$27.2024017% below

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

Construction laborer wages in Maryland over time

Maryland, 1999-2025MarylandUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$5$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$22.66United States$22.58Maryland
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, Maryland vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearMaryland $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$10.40$20.10$10.8516,080
2000$11.06$20.68$11.1517,430
2001$11.64$21.16$11.5717,200
2002$11.86$21.22$11.9018,620
2003$12.17$21.29$11.8619,720
2004$12.18$20.76$12.1020,440
2005$12.69$20.92$12.2223,970
2006$13.21$21.10$12.6625,310
2007$13.65$21.19$13.1326,460
2008$14.12$21.11$13.7123,900
2009$14.17$21.26$14.0119,880
2010$14.48$21.38$14.0816,820
2011$13.95$19.97$14.3016,610
2012$13.66$19.15$14.4216,260
2013$13.87$19.17$14.6417,930
2014$14.68$19.96$14.9517,700
2015$15.27$20.74$15.3419,160
2016$15.67$21.02$16.0719,120
2017$15.78$20.73$16.6019,640
2018$16.15$20.71$17.2119,900
2019$16.66$20.98$17.7218,770
2020$17.12$21.30$18.2218,520
2021$17.87$21.23$18.1618,790
2022$20.49$22.54$19.5920,060
2023$22.26$23.52$21.7820,450
2024$22.27$22.86$22.4720,280
2025$22.58$22.58$22.6620,920

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in Maryland changed by +8.9% over the last ten years of data and by +7.6% since 2019.

Are there more construction laborer jobs in Maryland?

+11.5%Jobs since 201918,770 then, 20,920 in 2025
+9.2%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
7.6Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.1× the US share, 23rd of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of construction laborers counted in Maryland has changed by +30.1%, against +43.7% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +11.5%.

Construction laborers in Maryland vs United States, 1999 = 100MarylandUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages80100120140160180200020052010201520202025144United States130Maryland
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, Maryland vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearMaryland jobsMaryland indexUS index
199916,080100100
200017,430108108
200117,200107108
200218,620116109
200319,720123110
200420,440127112
200523,970149122
200625,310157133
200726,460165138
200823,900149134
200919,880124112
201016,820105102
201116,610103102
201216,260101107
201317,930112108
201417,700110112
201519,160119116
201619,120119120
201719,640122126
201819,900124131
201918,770117134
202018,520115127
202118,790117127
202220,060125133
202320,450127134
202420,280126138
202520,920130144

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 Maryland

+8.8%Projected growth in Maryland2024–2034, state agency
2,610Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
28,690Jobs in 202431,210 projected for 2034
+7.3%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Maryland's labor market agency projects the number of construction laborers in the state to change by +8.8% between 2024 and 2034, from 28,690 to 31,210, with about 2,610 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +7.3% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 20,920 counted by the BLS employer survey.

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

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in Maryland

On federally funded construction in Maryland, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 24 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $27.90). The market median for the state is $22.58.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, MDAllegany: $47.69 (survey)Anne Arundel: $28.24 (survey)Baltimore: $24.34 (survey)Calvert: $39.62 (survey)Caroline: $24.91 (survey)Carroll: $34.22 (survey)Cecil: $24.19 (survey)Charles: $34.00 (survey)Dorchester: $21.73 (survey)Frederick: $47.60 (survey)Garrett: $47.69 (survey)Harford: $34.53 (survey)Howard: $27.56 (survey)Kent: $27.47 (survey)Montgomery: $36.60 (survey)Prince George's: $39.57 (survey)Queen Anne's: $24.19 (survey)St. Mary's: $39.48 (survey)Somerset: $21.73 (survey)Talbot: $24.91 (survey)Washington: $21.00 (survey)Wicomico: $19.56 (survey)Worcester: $24.50 (survey)Baltimore: $30.38 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$24.19$25.42$33.28$39.52survey 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$20$30$40$50/hrFrederick (Washington DC): market median $22.80, prevailing (survey) $47.60, gap +$24.80Frederick (Washington DC)+$24.80Calvert (Lexington Park): market median $21.88, prevailing (survey) $39.62, gap +$17.74Calvert (Lexington Park)+$17.74Harford (Baltimore): market median $22.34, prevailing (survey) $34.53, gap +$12.19Harford (Baltimore)+$12.19Somerset (Salisbury): market median $18.65, prevailing (survey) $21.73, gap +$3.08Somerset (Salisbury)+$3.08Washington (Hagerstown): market median $20.59, prevailing (survey) $21.00, gap +$0.41Washington (Hagerstown)+$0.41Cecil (Philadelphia): market median $26.50, prevailing (survey) $24.19, gap −$2.31Cecil (Philadelphia)−$2.31
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in Maryland.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
Alleganystate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$24.69$23.00$47.69MD20260081
Garrettstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$24.69$23.00$47.69MD20260116
Frederickstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$24.60$23.00$47.60MD20260115
Calvertstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$31.00$8.62$39.62MD20260109
Prince George'sstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$30.47$9.10$39.57MD20260121
St. Mary'sstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$30.45$9.03$39.48MD20260124
Montgomerystate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$28.13$8.47$36.60MD20260120
Harfordstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$27.32$7.21$34.53MD20260117
Carrollstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$26.98$7.24$34.22MD20260111
Charlesstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$29.66$4.34$34.00MD20260113
Baltimorestate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$24.46$5.92$30.38MD20260107
Anne Arundelstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$21.34$6.90$28.24MD20260082
Howardstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$23.32$4.24$27.56MD20260118
Kentstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$25.08$2.39$27.47MD20260119
Carolinestate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$22.44$2.47$24.91MD20260110

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

Is construction work growing in Maryland?

166.0kConstruction jobsMaryland, 2026-09
-0.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k19901995200020052010201520202025166kSep 2026
Construction employment in Maryland (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 24 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 100,634 in 2015 to 107,991 in 2025, +7.3%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Prince George's County1,20621,463$94,963$1,826
Howard County4947,376$89,421$1,720
Anne Arundel County99314,008$88,985$1,711
Baltimore County1,26316,317$85,194$1,638
Baltimore city4325,904$85,150$1,637
St. Mary's County1681,667$79,958$1,538
Charles County2652,391$79,295$1,525
Montgomery County1,35613,077$78,980$1,519
Frederick County5696,674$77,989$1,500
Harford County5043,714$75,387$1,450
Calvert County2221,186$75,159$1,445
Carroll County4824,718$73,878$1,421

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Maryland

More on Maryland

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in Maryland?

The median construction laborer in Maryland earned $22.58 an hour ($46,960 a year) in May 2025, about the same as the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $18.98–$26.70; the top 10% earn more than $29.65.

Where does Maryland rank for construction laborer pay?

Maryland ranks 28th of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $22.58 an hour, and 42nd after adjusting for Maryland's cost of living (BEA price parity 105.0, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in Maryland?

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

How many construction laborers work in Maryland?

BLS counted 20,920 construction laborers in Maryland in May 2025, 7.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.07; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is construction laborer work growing in Maryland?

The BLS employer survey count of construction laborers in Maryland went from 19,160 in 2015 to 20,920 in 2025, +9.2%, and +11.5% since 2019. Maryland's labor market agency projects +8.8% growth for construction laborers between 2024 and 2034, from 28,690 to 31,210 jobs.

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

Maryland projects about 2,610 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, Maryland 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: Maryland labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.