Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in Texas

Median $19.53 an hour for 123,250 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$19.53/hrMedian hourly wageTexas, May data
$40,620/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$15.65 – $27.3710th to 90th percentilehourly range
123,250Jobs countedemployer survey

Construction laborer pay in Texas: the full range

Wage percentiles, TexasMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrTexas: 10th $15.65 · 25th $17.66 · median $19.53 · 75th $22.57 · 90th $27.37Texas$19.53$15.65$27.37United 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: Texas vs United States, May 2025.

Texas ranks 44th of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 48th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $20.11). 123,250 construction laborers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$15.65 – $17.66$32,560 – $36,730roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$17.66 – $22.57$36,730 – $46,950the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$22.57 – $27.37$46,950 – $56,930the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in Texas

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrBeaumont: $21.27Beaumont$21.27Austin: $21.16Austin$21.16Dallas-Fort Worth: $21.14Dallas-Fort Worth$21.14Sherman: $20.91Sherman$20.91Corpus Christi: $20.40Corpus Christi$20.40Houston: $19.88Houston$19.88Midland: $18.99Midland$18.99San Antonio: $18.94San Antonio$18.94Odessa: $18.45Odessa$18.45Abilene: $18.35Abilene$18.35Amarillo: $18.35Amarillo$18.35Longview: $18.19Longview$18.19
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in Texas, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Beaumont$16.85$21.27$31.053,3409% above
Austin$16.31$21.16$28.3411,1408% above
Dallas-Fort Worth$17.06$21.14$27.3829,6708% above
Sherman$15.50$20.91$28.314907% above
Corpus Christi$15.93$20.40$29.602,6404% above
Houston$16.77$19.88$28.0434,0802% above
Midland$17.17$18.99$26.891,9703% below
San Antonio$16.41$18.94$24.618,4003% below
Odessa$16.53$18.45$24.359706% below
Abilene$15.47$18.35$23.695706% below
Amarillo$14.52$18.35$26.189706% below
Longview$15.26$18.19$25.071,6107% below
Tyler$14.43$18.13$23.396507% below
Killeen$15.19$18.12$27.399407% below
Waco$14.18$18.08$23.591,2207% below
College Station$14.59$17.88$22.907708% below
Lubbock$14.08$17.78$23.289809% below
Victoria$15.39$17.75$22.683409% below
San Angelo$13.89$17.70$25.002409% below
Wichita Falls$14.81$17.66$22.3624010% below
Texarkana$13.39$17.48$22.7745010% below
El Paso$14.08$17.15$22.472,14012% below
Brownsville$12.53$16.90$22.3146013% below
McAllen$12.59$16.57$21.641,36015% below
Laredo$13.18$16.22$21.2940017% below

Construction laborer wages in Texas over time

Texas, 1999-2025TexasUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$5$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$22.66United States$19.53Texas
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, Texas vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearTexas $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$8.37$16.17$10.8568,050
2000$8.60$16.08$11.1573,350
2001$9.00$16.36$11.5776,620
2002$9.17$16.41$11.9084,170
2003$9.28$16.24$11.8686,760
2004$9.37$15.97$12.1088,310
2005$9.44$15.56$12.2297,180
2006$9.64$15.39$12.66109,210
2007$10.00$15.53$13.13119,560
2008$10.62$15.88$13.71123,750
2009$10.96$16.45$14.01106,470
2010$11.30$16.68$14.0898,680
2011$11.59$16.59$14.30101,330
2012$11.89$16.67$14.42107,020
2013$12.36$17.08$14.64108,160
2014$12.97$17.64$14.95104,910
2015$13.34$18.12$15.34101,250
2016$13.84$18.56$16.07100,600
2017$14.28$18.76$16.60108,260
2018$14.99$19.22$17.21111,250
2019$15.66$19.72$17.72112,370
2020$16.15$20.09$18.22104,130
2021$17.07$20.28$18.16103,870
2022$17.39$19.13$19.59112,760
2023$17.86$18.87$21.78115,770
2024$18.36$18.84$22.47117,580
2025$19.53$19.53$22.66123,250

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in Texas changed by +7.8% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in Texas

On federally funded construction in Texas, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 254 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $9.73). 254 of the 254 counties still use a survey rate dated 2009 or earlier (for example Anderson County at $12.19). The market median for the state is $19.53.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, TXUnion / prevailing package, $/hr$8.72$9.73$10.04$12.00survey 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)$5$10$15$20$25/hrCochran (Lubbock): market median $17.78, prevailing (survey) $14.03, gap −$3.75Cochran (Lubbock)−$3.75Comal (San Antonio): market median $18.94, prevailing (survey) $14.11, gap −$4.83Comal (San Antonio)−$4.83Randall (Amarillo): market median $18.35, prevailing (survey) $12.85, gap −$5.50Randall (Amarillo)−$5.50Robertson (College Station): market median $17.88, prevailing (survey) $12.00, gap −$5.88Robertson (College Station)−$5.88Bowie (Texarkana): market median $17.48, prevailing (survey) $11.50, gap −$5.98Bowie (Texarkana)−$5.98Callahan (Abilene): market median $18.35, prevailing (survey) $11.89, gap −$6.46Callahan (Abilene)−$6.46Johnson (Dallas-Fort Worth): market median $21.14, prevailing (survey) $14.55, gap −$6.59Johnson (Dallas-Fort Worth)−$6.59Ector (Odessa): market median $18.45, prevailing (survey) $11.80, gap −$6.65Ector (Odessa)−$6.65Smith (Tyler): market median $18.13, prevailing (survey) $11.42, gap −$6.71Smith (Tyler)−$6.71McLennan (Waco): market median $18.08, prevailing (survey) $11.10, gap −$6.98McLennan (Waco)−$6.98Rusk (Longview): market median $18.19, prevailing (survey) $11.20, gap −$6.99Rusk (Longview)−$6.99Midland (Midland): market median $18.99, prevailing (survey) $11.80, gap −$7.19Midland (Midland)−$7.19Bell (Killeen): market median $18.12, prevailing (survey) $10.53, gap −$7.59Bell (Killeen)−$7.59Wichita (Wichita Falls): market median $17.66, prevailing (survey) $10.05, gap −$7.61Wichita (Wichita Falls)−$7.61Williamson (Austin): market median $21.16, prevailing (survey) $13.26, gap −$7.90Williamson (Austin)−$7.90Irion (San Angelo): market median $17.70, prevailing (survey) $9.74, gap −$7.96Irion (San Angelo)−$7.96Harris (Houston): market median $19.88, prevailing (survey) $11.76, gap −$8.12Harris (Houston)−$8.12Hardin (Beaumont): market median $21.27, prevailing (survey) $12.15, gap −$9.12Hardin (Beaumont)−$9.12Aransas (Corpus Christi): market median $20.40, prevailing (survey) $9.68, gap −$10.72Aransas (Corpus Christi)−$10.72Grayson (Sherman): market median $20.91, prevailing (survey) $10.00, gap −$10.91Grayson (Sherman)−$10.91
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in Texas.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
JohnsonSurvey SUTX2014-033 2014-07-21$11.91$2.64$14.55TX20260257
ComalSurvey SUTX2014-016 2014-07-21$14.11$0.00$14.11TX20260240
BaileySurvey SUTX2009-004 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260117
BaylorSurvey SUTX2009-079 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260192
CochranSurvey SUTX2009-014 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260127
CottleSurvey SUTX2009-079 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260192
DickensSurvey SUTX2009-079 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260192
FloydSurvey SUTX2009-028 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260141
FoardSurvey SUTX2009-087 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260200
GarzaSurvey SUTX2009-087 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260200
HaleSurvey SUTX2009-036 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260149
HardemanSurvey SUTX2009-091 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260204
HaskellSurvey SUTX2009-092 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260205
HockleySurvey SUTX2009-079 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260192
JackSurvey SUTX2009-079 2009-04-20$11.23$2.80$14.03TX20260192

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

Is construction work growing in Texas?

929.9kConstruction jobsTexas, 2026-08
+2.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k19901995200020052010201520202025930kAug 2026
Construction employment in Texas (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
Ward County492$114,200$2,196
Armstrong County186$112,884$2,171
Marion County82$112,162$2,157
Bosque County326$104,299$2,006
Jones County176$102,591$1,973
Andrews County562$97,060$1,867
Fayette County635$95,031$1,828
Midland County4,427$94,134$1,810
Yoakum County206$93,961$1,807
Jefferson County6,951$92,846$1,785
Chambers County181$92,338$1,776
Brazoria County4,932$90,928$1,749

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Texas

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in Texas?

The median construction laborer in Texas earned $19.53 an hour ($40,620 a year) in May 2025, 14% below the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $17.66–$22.57; the top 10% earn more than $27.37.

Where does Texas rank for construction laborer pay?

Texas ranks 44th of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $19.53 an hour, and 48th after adjusting for Texas's cost of living (BEA price parity 97.1, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in Texas?

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

How many construction laborers work in Texas?

BLS counted 123,250 construction laborers in Texas in May 2025, 8.8 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.24; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Texas 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.