Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in New Jersey

Median $30.80 an hour for 23,590 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$30.80/hrMedian hourly wageNew Jersey, May data
$64,060/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.26 – $51.0310th to 90th percentilehourly range
23,590Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Construction laborer pay in New Jersey: the full range

Wage percentiles, New JerseyMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrNew Jersey: 10th $18.26 · 25th $22.46 · median $30.80 · 75th $45.44 · 90th $51.03New Jersey$30.80$18.26$51.03United 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: New Jersey vs United States, May 2025.

New Jersey ranks 2nd of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 8th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $28.31). 23,590 construction laborers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.26 – $22.46$37,980 – $46,710roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$22.46 – $45.44$46,710 – $94,510the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$45.44 – $51.03$94,510 – $106,140the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in New Jersey

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrVineland: $40.23Vineland$40.23Trenton: $34.58Trenton$34.58New York City: $29.46New York City$29.46Atlantic City: $26.50Atlantic City$26.50Philadelphia: $26.50Philadelphia$26.50Allentown: $23.70Allentown$23.70
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in New Jersey, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Vineland$17.50$40.23$46.6844031% above
Trenton$18.37$34.58$51.1496012% above
New York City$16.50$29.46$50.1450,8704% below
Atlantic City$16.30$26.50$47.501,14014% below
Philadelphia$18.46$26.50$40.0014,58014% below
Allentown$18.09$23.70$36.211,67023% below

Construction laborer wages in New Jersey over time

New Jersey, 1999-2025New JerseyUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$30.80New Jersey$22.66United States
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, New Jersey vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew Jersey $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.95$32.75$10.8511,880
2000$17.03$31.84$11.1513,280
2001$18.95$34.45$11.5714,900
2002$18.76$33.57$11.9014,980
2003$18.22$31.88$11.8615,510
2004$19.02$32.42$12.1018,420
2005$18.97$31.27$12.2220,380
2006$19.31$30.84$12.6621,830
2007$20.33$31.57$13.1320,730
2008$21.51$32.16$13.7121,210
2009$22.84$34.27$14.0118,080
2010$23.99$35.42$14.0817,340
2011$21.93$31.39$14.3017,240
2012$21.89$30.69$14.4217,600
2013$21.08$29.13$14.6418,670
2014$21.55$29.31$14.9520,350
2015$21.98$29.86$15.3423,950
2016$22.00$29.51$16.0725,350
2017$22.93$30.12$16.6023,440
2018$22.68$29.08$17.2123,900
2019$23.70$29.84$17.7224,460
2020$24.32$30.25$18.2224,020
2021$26.29$31.24$18.1620,770
2022$28.78$31.66$19.5920,120
2023$29.24$30.89$21.7820,230
2024$30.38$31.18$22.4720,720
2025$30.80$30.80$22.6623,590

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in New Jersey changed by +3.2% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in New Jersey

On federally funded construction in New Jersey, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 19 of the 21 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $65.97 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $34.58). 2 of the 21 counties still use a survey rate dated 2009 or earlier (for example Burlington County at $31.69). The market median for the state is $30.80.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NJAtlantic: $65.97 (union)Bergen: $65.97 (union)Burlington: $31.69 (survey)Camden: $65.97 (union)Cape May: $65.97 (union)Cumberland: $65.97 (union)Essex: $65.97 (union)Gloucester: $65.97 (union)Hudson: $65.97 (union)Hunterdon: $65.97 (union)Mercer: $52.42 (union)Middlesex: $65.97 (union)Monmouth: $65.97 (union)Morris: $37.47 (survey)Ocean: $65.97 (union)Passaic: $65.97 (union)Salem: $65.97 (union)Somerset: $65.97 (union)Sussex: $65.97 (union)Union: $65.97 (union)Warren: $65.97 (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)$20$40$60$80/hrWarren (Allentown): market median $23.70, prevailing (union) $65.97, gap +$42.27Warren (Allentown)+$42.27Atlantic (Atlantic City): market median $26.50, prevailing (union) $65.97, gap +$39.47Atlantic (Atlantic City)+$39.47Camden (Philadelphia): market median $26.50, prevailing (union) $65.97, gap +$39.47Camden (Philadelphia)+$39.47Bergen (New York City): market median $29.46, prevailing (union) $65.97, gap +$36.51Bergen (New York City)+$36.51Cumberland (Vineland): market median $40.23, prevailing (union) $65.97, gap +$25.74Cumberland (Vineland)+$25.74Mercer (Trenton): market median $34.58, prevailing (union) $52.42, gap +$17.84Mercer (Trenton)+$17.84
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in New Jersey.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AtlanticUnion LABO0077-003 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260025
BergenUnion LABO0077-006 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260026
CamdenUnion LABO0077-005 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260028
Cape MayUnion LABO0077-003 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260029
CumberlandUnion LABO0077-003 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260030
EssexUnion LABO0077-005 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260031
GloucesterUnion LABO0077-005 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260032
HudsonUnion LABO0077-006 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260033
HunterdonUnion LABO0077-005 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260034
MiddlesexUnion LABO0077-005 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260036
MonmouthUnion LABO0077-005 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260037
OceanUnion LABO0077-005 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260039
PassaicUnion LABO0077-006 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260040
SalemUnion LABO0077-005 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260041
SomersetUnion LABO0077-005 2022-05-01$35.75$30.22$65.97NJ20260042

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

Is construction work growing in New Jersey?

167.4kConstruction jobsNew Jersey, 2026-08
-2.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202650k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025167kAug 2026
Construction employment in New Jersey (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
Middlesex County9,199$97,416$1,873
Hudson County3,007$95,564$1,838
Mercer County3,543$94,905$1,825
Morris County8,730$91,378$1,757
Union County6,308$91,096$1,752
Gloucester County4,374$90,128$1,733
Hunterdon County1,945$90,014$1,731
Essex County6,092$89,479$1,721
Camden County6,357$89,390$1,719
Somerset County4,438$88,130$1,695
Burlington County4,355$86,431$1,662
Passaic County5,178$85,739$1,649

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New Jersey

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in New Jersey?

The median construction laborer in New Jersey earned $30.80 an hour ($64,060 a year) in May 2025, 36% above the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $22.46–$45.44; the top 10% earn more than $51.03.

Where does New Jersey rank for construction laborer pay?

New Jersey ranks 2nd of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $30.80 an hour, and 8th after adjusting for New Jersey's cost of living (BEA price parity 108.8, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in New Jersey?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for construction laborers in 19 counties, with a typical package of $65.97 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many construction laborers work in New Jersey?

BLS counted 23,590 construction laborers in New Jersey in May 2025, 5.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.78; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New Jersey 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.