Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in New York

Median $26.89 an hour for 52,090 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$26.89/hrMedian hourly wageNew York, May data
$55,930/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$16.50 – $46.4410th to 90th percentilehourly range
52,090Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Construction laborer pay in New York: the full range

Wage percentiles, New YorkMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrNew York: 10th $16.50 · 25th $21.13 · median $26.89 · 75th $38.18 · 90th $46.44New York$26.89$16.50$46.44United 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 York vs United States, May 2025.

New York ranks 14th of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 19th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $24.92). 52,090 construction laborers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$16.50 – $21.13$34,320 – $43,950roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$21.13 – $38.18$43,950 – $79,420the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$38.18 – $46.44$79,420 – $96,590the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in New York

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrNew York City: $29.46New York City$29.46Poughkeepsie: $25.94Poughkeepsie$25.94Albany: $25.45Albany$25.45Binghamton: $24.40Binghamton$24.40Buffalo: $24.34Buffalo$24.34Utica: $23.90Utica$23.90Elmira: $23.84Elmira$23.84Kingston: $23.81Kingston$23.81Rochester: $23.70Rochester$23.70Syracuse: $23.64Syracuse$23.64Glens Falls: $23.60Glens Falls$23.60Watertown: $23.29Watertown$23.29
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in New York, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
New York City$16.50$29.46$50.1450,87010% above
Poughkeepsie$18.07$25.94$43.421,6404% below
Albany$18.67$25.45$41.562,7005% below
Binghamton$17.77$24.40$38.496509% below
Buffalo$18.30$24.34$39.522,7909% below
Utica$18.46$23.90$39.8655011% below
Elmira$17.54$23.84$36.1613011% below
Kingston$17.37$23.81$38.5743011% below
Rochester$16.20$23.70$38.742,55012% below
Syracuse$17.38$23.64$39.441,66012% below
Glens Falls$17.47$23.60$39.1437012% below
Watertown$16.75$23.29$30.5829013% below
Ithaca$17.44$22.50$30.7813016% below

Construction laborer wages in New York over time

New York, 1999-2025New YorkUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$10$20$30200020052010201520202025$26.89New York$22.66United States
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, New York vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew York $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$18.76$36.25$10.8545,750
2000$16.64$31.11$11.1550,790
2001$17.17$31.21$11.5746,620
2002$17.93$32.09$11.9044,940
2003$16.82$29.43$11.8642,980
2004$17.66$30.10$12.1042,590
2005$17.64$29.08$12.2245,340
2006$19.06$30.44$12.6647,120
2007$19.72$30.62$13.1346,520
2008$20.54$30.71$13.7148,760
2009$20.79$31.20$14.0144,710
2010$20.28$29.94$14.0846,430
2011$20.87$29.87$14.3047,720
2012$19.88$27.88$14.4249,790
2013$18.91$26.13$14.6450,620
2014$18.44$25.08$14.9553,450
2015$18.68$25.37$15.3458,700
2016$19.31$25.90$16.0761,050
2017$20.44$26.85$16.6060,780
2018$21.38$27.41$17.2163,020
2019$22.39$28.20$17.7266,740
2020$23.56$29.31$18.2258,380
2021$26.65$31.66$18.1649,090
2022$24.18$26.60$19.5948,320
2023$27.23$28.77$21.7849,080
2024$27.73$28.46$22.4749,890
2025$26.89$26.89$22.6652,090

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in New York changed by +6.0% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in New York

On federally funded construction in New York, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 50 of the 62 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $58.26 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $40.62). The market median for the state is $26.89.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NYAlbany: $62.84 (union)Allegany: $40.62 (survey)Bronx: $104.25 (union)Broome: $48.96 (union)Cattaraugus: $40.62 (survey)Cayuga: $52.47 (union)Chautauqua: $49.82 (union)Chemung: $61.16 (union)Chenango: $49.15 (survey)Clinton: $51.03 (union)Columbia: $49.90 (survey)Cortland: $49.21 (union)Delaware: $49.15 (survey)Dutchess: $74.00 (union)Erie: $60.68 (union)Essex: $51.03 (union)Franklin: $51.03 (union)Fulton: $51.03 (union)Genesee: $40.62 (survey)Greene: $49.90 (survey)Hamilton: $51.03 (union)Herkimer: $52.39 (union)Jefferson: $52.48 (union)Kings: $104.25 (union)Lewis: $51.03 (union)Livingston: $58.26 (union)Madison: $43.14 (union)Monroe: $58.26 (union)Montgomery: $51.03 (union)Nassau: $77.34 (union)New York: $104.25 (union)Niagara: $73.81 (union)Oneida: $43.14 (union)Onondaga: $52.78 (union)Ontario: $58.26 (union)Orange: $74.00 (union)Orleans: $58.26 (union)Oswego: $52.78 (union)Otsego: $73.30 (union)Putnam: $76.45 (union)Queens: $104.25 (union)Rensselaer: $62.84 (union)Richmond: $104.25 (union)Rockland: $80.50 (union)St. Lawrence: $51.03 (union)Saratoga: $62.84 (union)Schenectady: $62.84 (union)Schoharie: $62.84 (union)Schuyler: $40.62 (survey)Seneca: $40.62 (survey)Steuben: $40.62 (survey)Suffolk: $77.34 (union)Sullivan: $49.15 (survey)Tioga: $48.96 (union)Tompkins: $49.21 (union)Ulster: $74.00 (union)Warren: $62.07 (union)Washington: $62.84 (union)Wayne: $50.56 (union)Westchester: $76.45 (union)Wyoming: $40.62 (survey)Yates: $50.56 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$49.15$51.03$58.26$73.96survey 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)$0$25$50$75$100$125/hrBronx (New York City): market median $29.46, prevailing (union) $104.25, gap +$74.79Bronx (New York City)+$74.79Ulster (Kingston): market median $23.81, prevailing (union) $74.00, gap +$50.19Ulster (Kingston)+$50.19Niagara (Buffalo): market median $24.34, prevailing (union) $73.81, gap +$49.47Niagara (Buffalo)+$49.47Dutchess (Poughkeepsie): market median $25.94, prevailing (union) $74.00, gap +$48.06Dutchess (Poughkeepsie)+$48.06Washington (Glens Falls): market median $23.60, prevailing (union) $62.84, gap +$39.24Washington (Glens Falls)+$39.24Albany (Albany): market median $25.45, prevailing (union) $62.84, gap +$37.39Albany (Albany)+$37.39Chemung (Elmira): market median $23.84, prevailing (union) $61.16, gap +$37.32Chemung (Elmira)+$37.32Livingston (Rochester): market median $23.70, prevailing (union) $58.26, gap +$34.56Livingston (Rochester)+$34.56Jefferson (Watertown): market median $23.29, prevailing (union) $52.48, gap +$29.19Jefferson (Watertown)+$29.19Onondaga (Syracuse): market median $23.64, prevailing (union) $52.78, gap +$29.14Onondaga (Syracuse)+$29.14Herkimer (Utica): market median $23.90, prevailing (union) $52.39, gap +$28.49Herkimer (Utica)+$28.49Tompkins (Ithaca): market median $22.50, prevailing (union) $49.21, gap +$26.71Tompkins (Ithaca)+$26.71Broome (Binghamton): market median $24.40, prevailing (union) $48.96, gap +$24.56Broome (Binghamton)+$24.56
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in New York.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BronxUnion LABO1010-002 2025-07-01$50.20$54.05$104.25NY20260003
KingsUnion LABO1010-002 2025-07-01$50.20$54.05$104.25NY20260003
New YorkUnion LABO1010-002 2025-07-01$50.20$54.05$104.25NY20260003
QueensUnion LABO1010-002 2025-07-01$50.20$54.05$104.25NY20260003
RichmondUnion LABO1010-002 2025-07-01$50.20$54.05$104.25NY20260003
RocklandUnion LABO0754-001 2022-06-01$52.35$28.15$80.50NY20260020
NassauUnion LABO0066-001 2025-07-01$42.55$34.79$77.34NY20260012
SuffolkUnion LABO0066-001 2025-07-01$42.55$34.79$77.34NY20260012
PutnamUnion LABO0235-001 2025-05-01$44.05$32.40$76.45NY20260025
WestchesterUnion LABO0235-001 2025-05-01$44.05$32.40$76.45NY20260017
DutchessUnion LABO0235-003 2025-06-01$41.10$32.90$74.00NY20260007
OrangeUnion LABO0235-003 2025-06-01$41.10$32.90$74.00NY20260007
UlsterUnion LABO0235-003 2025-06-01$41.10$32.90$74.00NY20260007
NiagaraUnion LABO0091-001 2023-07-01$32.45$41.36$73.81NY20260019
OtsegoUnion LABO0017-008 2025-06-01$43.55$29.75$73.30NY20260113

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

Is construction work growing in New York?

396.0kConstruction jobsNew York, 2026-08
-1.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k200k300k400k500k19901995200020052010201520202025396kAug 2026
Construction employment in New York (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
New York County17,505$112,347$2,161
Ontario County2,596$110,692$2,129
Albany County5,751$97,044$1,866
Queens County31,155$96,866$1,863
Rensselaer County1,684$93,618$1,800
Nassau County21,871$93,401$1,796
Bronx County6,727$91,769$1,765
Erie County13,400$88,790$1,707
Westchester County17,930$88,549$1,703
Onondaga County6,868$88,060$1,693
Cayuga County856$87,850$1,689
Herkimer County531$87,293$1,679

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New York

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in New York?

The median construction laborer in New York earned $26.89 an hour ($55,930 a year) in May 2025, 19% above the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $21.13–$38.18; the top 10% earn more than $46.44.

Where does New York rank for construction laborer pay?

New York ranks 14th of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $26.89 an hour, and 19th after adjusting for New York's cost of living (BEA price parity 107.9, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in New York?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for construction laborers in 50 counties, with a typical package of $58.26 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many construction laborers work in New York?

BLS counted 52,090 construction laborers in New York in May 2025, 5.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.76; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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