Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in Minnesota

Median $28.97 an hour for 28,530 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$28.97/hrMedian hourly wageMinnesota, May data
$60,260/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$20.65 – $46.2310th to 90th percentilehourly range
28,530Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Construction laborer pay in Minnesota: the full range

Wage percentiles, MinnesotaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrMinnesota: 10th $20.65 · 25th $23.28 · median $28.97 · 75th $38.32 · 90th $46.23Minnesota$28.97$20.65$46.23United 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: Minnesota vs United States, May 2025.

Minnesota ranks 6th of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 3rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.38). 28,530 construction laborers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.2× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$20.65 – $23.28$42,950 – $48,420roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$23.28 – $38.32$48,420 – $79,710the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$38.32 – $46.23$79,710 – $96,150the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in Minnesota

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrMinneapolis: $29.79Minneapolis$29.79Duluth: $29.49Duluth$29.49Rochester: $28.55Rochester$28.55Mankato: $28.53Mankato$28.53La Crosse: $28.32La Crosse$28.32St. Cloud: $27.80St. Cloud$27.80Fargo: $23.72Fargo$23.72Grand Forks: $23.59Grand Forks$23.59Sioux Falls: $22.53Sioux Falls$22.53
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in Minnesota, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Minneapolis$21.09$29.79$28.43$46.4817,3303% above
Duluth$20.97$29.49$33.21$42.991,3902% above
Rochester$18.12$28.55$31.44$45.189901% below
Mankato$21.12$28.53$31.35$37.783402% below
La Crosse$18.70$28.32$30.85$36.486102% below
St. Cloud$21.39$27.80$31.74$43.801,4704% below
Fargo$21.16$23.72$26.09$37.191,76018% below
Grand Forks$19.77$23.59$27.21$31.8051019% below
Sioux Falls$17.54$22.53$24.87$27.7370022% below

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

Construction laborer wages in Minnesota over time

Minnesota, 1999-2025MinnesotaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$28.97Minnesota$22.66United States
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, Minnesota vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearMinnesota $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.44$31.77$10.8510,310
2000$16.59$31.02$11.1512,520
2001$17.78$32.32$11.5712,420
2002$17.92$32.07$11.9011,510
2003$17.33$30.32$11.869,910
2004$18.47$31.48$12.1010,000
2005$19.82$32.67$12.2211,380
2006$18.49$29.53$12.6611,750
2007$18.38$28.54$13.1310,070
2008$19.88$29.73$13.718,660
2009$20.78$31.18$14.017,270
2010$21.46$31.68$14.086,550
2011$19.81$28.35$14.306,670
2012$18.91$26.52$14.427,440
2013$19.36$26.76$14.648,320
2014$19.72$26.82$14.959,200
2015$19.09$25.93$15.3410,200
2016$20.95$28.10$16.0711,330
2017$22.37$29.38$16.6012,080
2018$23.64$30.31$17.2112,810
2019$22.61$28.47$17.7212,400
2020$23.25$28.92$18.2212,120
2021$22.45$26.67$18.1618,200
2022$23.20$25.52$19.5924,000
2023$26.75$28.26$21.7824,540
2024$28.23$28.97$22.4727,510
2025$28.97$28.97$22.6628,530

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in Minnesota changed by +11.7% over the last ten years of data and by +1.7% since 2019.

Are there more construction laborer jobs in Minnesota?

+130.1%Jobs since 201912,400 then, 28,530 in 2025
+179.7%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
9.7Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.4× the US share, 9th of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of construction laborers counted in Minnesota has changed by +176.7%, against +43.7% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +130.1%.

Construction laborers in Minnesota vs United States, 1999 = 100MinnesotaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages0100200300200020052010201520202025277Minnesota144United States
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, Minnesota vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearMinnesota jobsMinnesota indexUS index
199910,310100100
200012,520121108
200112,420120108
200211,510112109
20039,91096110
200410,00097112
200511,380110122
200611,750114133
200710,07098138
20088,66084134
20097,27070112
20106,55064102
20116,67065102
20127,44072107
20138,32081108
20149,20089112
201510,20099116
201611,330110120
201712,080117126
201812,810124131
201912,400120134
202012,120118127
202118,200176127
202224,000233133
202324,540238134
202427,510267138
202528,530277144

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 Minnesota

+7.4%Projected growth in Minnesota2024–2034, state agency
3,510Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
39,450Jobs in 202442,380 projected for 2034
+7.3%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Minnesota's labor market agency projects the number of construction laborers in the state to change by +7.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 39,450 to 42,380, with about 3,510 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +7.3% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 28,530 counted by the BLS employer survey.

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

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in Minnesota

On federally funded construction in Minnesota, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 87 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $63.31). The market median for the state is $28.97.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, MNAitkin: $60.83 (survey)Anoka: $74.12 (survey)Becker: $68.00 (survey)Beltrami: $51.10 (survey)Benton: $62.07 (survey)Big Stone: $21.00 (survey)Blue Earth: $63.31 (survey)Brown: $63.31 (survey)Carlton: $60.39 (survey)Carver: $74.12 (survey)Cass: $21.00 (survey)Chippewa: $60.45 (survey)Chisago: $74.12 (survey)Clay: $68.00 (survey)Clearwater: $27.50 (survey)Cook: $60.39 (survey)Cottonwood: $63.31 (survey)Crow Wing: $68.00 (survey)Dakota: $74.12 (survey)Dodge: $66.30 (survey)Douglas: $68.00 (survey)Faribault: $66.30 (survey)Fillmore: $66.30 (survey)Freeborn: $66.30 (survey)Goodhue: $74.12 (survey)Grant: $68.00 (survey)Hennepin: $74.12 (survey)Houston: $66.30 (survey)Hubbard: $68.00 (survey)Isanti: $74.12 (survey)Itasca: $60.83 (survey)Jackson: $63.31 (survey)Kanabec: $60.83 (survey)Kandiyohi: $34.75 (survey)Kittson: $24.00 (survey)Koochiching: $60.83 (survey)Lac qui Parle: $59.63 (survey)Lake: $60.39 (survey)Lake of the Woods: $51.10 (survey)Le Sueur: $66.30 (survey)Lincoln: $26.86 (survey)Lyon: $63.31 (survey)McLeod: $63.31 (survey)Mahnomen: $51.10 (survey)Marshall: $51.10 (survey)Martin: $63.31 (survey)Meeker: $68.00 (survey)Mille Lacs: $60.83 (survey)Morrison: $68.00 (survey)Mower: $66.30 (survey)Murray: $29.50 (survey)Nicollet: $63.31 (survey)Nobles: $54.36 (survey)Norman: $27.50 (survey)Olmsted: $66.30 (survey)Otter Tail: $68.00 (survey)Pennington: $27.50 (survey)Pine: $36.22 (survey)Pipestone: $26.86 (survey)Polk: $27.50 (survey)Pope: $36.08 (survey)Ramsey: $74.12 (survey)Red Lake: $51.10 (survey)Redwood: $63.31 (survey)Renville: $63.31 (survey)Rice: $66.30 (survey)Rock: $63.31 (survey)Roseau: $24.00 (survey)St. Louis: $60.39 (survey)Scott: $74.12 (survey)Sherburne: $74.12 (survey)Sibley: $63.31 (survey)Stearns: $68.00 (survey)Steele: $66.30 (survey)Stevens: $68.00 (survey)Swift: $68.00 (survey)Todd: $68.00 (survey)Traverse: $68.00 (survey)Wabasha: $66.30 (survey)Wadena: $68.00 (survey)Waseca: $66.30 (survey)Washington: $74.12 (survey)Watonwan: $63.31 (survey)Wilkin: $32.95 (survey)Winona: $66.30 (survey)Wright: $74.12 (survey)Yellow Medicine: $63.31 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$51.10$63.31$66.30$68.00survey 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)$0$20$40$60$80/hrAnoka (Minneapolis): market median $29.79, prevailing (survey) $74.12, gap +$44.33Anoka (Minneapolis)+$44.33Clay (Fargo): market median $23.72, prevailing (survey) $68.00, gap +$44.28Clay (Fargo)+$44.28Rock (Sioux Falls): market median $22.53, prevailing (survey) $63.31, gap +$40.78Rock (Sioux Falls)+$40.78Stearns (St. Cloud): market median $27.80, prevailing (survey) $68.00, gap +$40.20Stearns (St. Cloud)+$40.20Houston (La Crosse): market median $28.32, prevailing (survey) $66.30, gap +$37.98Houston (La Crosse)+$37.98Dodge (Rochester): market median $28.55, prevailing (survey) $66.30, gap +$37.75Dodge (Rochester)+$37.75Blue Earth (Mankato): market median $28.53, prevailing (survey) $63.31, gap +$34.78Blue Earth (Mankato)+$34.78Carlton (Duluth): market median $29.49, prevailing (survey) $60.39, gap +$30.90Carlton (Duluth)+$30.90Polk (Grand Forks): market median $23.59, prevailing (survey) $27.50, gap +$3.91Polk (Grand Forks)+$3.91
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in Minnesota.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
Anokastate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$46.25$27.87$74.12MN20260028
Carverstate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$46.25$27.87$74.12MN20260036
Chisagostate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$46.25$27.87$74.12MN20260039
Dakotastate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$46.25$27.87$74.12MN20260045
Goodhuestate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$46.25$27.87$74.12MN20260051
Hennepinstate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$46.25$27.87$74.12MN20260053
Isantistate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$46.25$27.87$74.12MN20260056
Ramseystate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$46.25$27.87$74.12MN20260088
Scottstate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$46.25$27.87$74.12MN20260095
Sherburnestate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$46.25$27.87$74.12MN20260096
Washingtonstate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$46.25$27.87$74.12MN20260108
Wrightstate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$46.25$27.87$74.12MN20260112
Beckerstate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$40.52$27.48$68.00MN20260029
Claystate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$40.52$27.48$68.00MN20260040
Crow Wingstate SAMN2025-001 2025-12-22$40.52$27.48$68.00MN20260044

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

Is construction work growing in Minnesota?

161.1kConstruction jobsMinnesota, 2026-09
+5.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k50k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025161kSep 2026
Construction employment in Minnesota (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 78 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 70,177 in 2015 to 87,254 in 2025, +24.3%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Ramsey County5399,056$106,136$2,041
Hennepin County1,56421,844$98,504$1,894
Goodhue County96777$96,065$1,847
Carlton County59440$95,378$1,834
Washington County4343,021$93,638$1,801
Dakota County7496,693$92,730$1,783
Scott County4093,459$89,101$1,713
Kanabec County38200$87,888$1,690
Anoka County8437,249$87,449$1,682
Carver County2361,779$87,233$1,678
Le Sueur County96414$85,520$1,645
Chisago County158763$85,347$1,641

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Minnesota

More on Minnesota

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in Minnesota?

The median construction laborer in Minnesota earned $28.97 an hour ($60,260 a year) in May 2025, 28% above the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $23.28–$38.32; the top 10% earn more than $46.23.

Where does Minnesota rank for construction laborer pay?

Minnesota ranks 6th of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $28.97 an hour, and 3rd after adjusting for Minnesota's cost of living (BEA price parity 98.6, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in Minnesota?

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

How many construction laborers work in Minnesota?

BLS counted 28,530 construction laborers in Minnesota in May 2025, 9.7 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.37; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is construction laborer work growing in Minnesota?

The BLS employer survey count of construction laborers in Minnesota went from 10,200 in 2015 to 28,530 in 2025, +179.7%, and +130.1% since 2019. Minnesota's labor market agency projects +7.4% growth for construction laborers between 2024 and 2034, from 39,450 to 42,380 jobs.

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

Minnesota projects about 3,510 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, Minnesota 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: Minnesota labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.