Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in West Virginia

Median $20.51 an hour for 6,620 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$20.51/hrMedian hourly wageWest Virginia, May data
$42,670/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$14.79 – $29.1110th to 90th percentilehourly range
6,620Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Construction laborer pay in West Virginia: the full range

Wage percentiles, West VirginiaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrWest Virginia: 10th $14.79 · 25th $17.12 · median $20.51 · 75th $26.34 · 90th $29.11West Virginia$20.51$14.79$29.11United 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: West Virginia vs United States, May 2025.

West Virginia ranks 43rd of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 33rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $22.92). 6,620 construction laborers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$14.79 – $17.12$30,770 – $35,620roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$17.12 – $26.34$35,620 – $54,780the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$26.34 – $29.11$54,780 – $60,550the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in West Virginia

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrCharleston: $22.97Charleston$22.97Washington DC: $22.80Washington DC$22.80Wheeling: $22.02Wheeling$22.02Huntington: $21.72Huntington$21.72Weirton: $21.56Weirton$21.56Morgantown: $21.32Morgantown$21.32Hagerstown: $20.59Hagerstown$20.59Winchester: $20.27Winchester$20.27Parkersburg: $20.03Parkersburg$20.03Beckley: $17.46Beckley$17.46
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in West Virginia, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Charleston$15.00$22.97$31.5466012% above
Washington DC$17.80$22.80$30.1917,71011% above
Wheeling$16.13$22.02$34.144507% above
Huntington$14.76$21.72$32.211,5806% above
Weirton$16.00$21.56$34.353005% above
Morgantown$14.50$21.32$28.476604% above
Hagerstown$16.08$20.59$27.90560about the same as
Winchester$16.72$20.27$24.903501% below
Parkersburg$15.05$20.03$28.403402% below
Beckley$14.11$17.46$29.3932015% below

Construction laborer wages in West Virginia over time

West Virginia, 1999-2025West VirginiaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$5$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$22.66United States$20.51West Virginia
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, West Virginia vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearWest Virginia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$10.75$20.77$10.855,620
2000$10.44$19.52$11.154,310
2001$10.48$19.05$11.575,070
2002$10.87$19.45$11.904,680
2003$10.99$19.23$11.864,240
2004$11.26$19.19$12.104,440
2005$10.57$17.42$12.225,540
2006$10.71$17.10$12.667,030
2007$11.45$17.78$13.137,850
2008$12.42$18.57$13.717,360
2009$13.21$19.82$14.016,290
2010$13.61$20.09$14.085,860
2011$13.51$19.34$14.306,490
2012$13.77$19.31$14.428,210
2013$13.43$18.56$14.648,410
2014$13.24$18.01$14.958,600
2015$13.88$18.85$15.348,560
2016$14.78$19.83$16.077,400
2017$15.14$19.89$16.607,410
2018$15.82$20.28$17.219,080
2019$15.88$20.00$17.729,750
2020$15.99$19.89$18.227,130
2021$17.48$20.77$18.166,950
2022$17.90$19.69$19.596,740
2023$18.34$19.38$21.787,580
2024$18.64$19.13$22.477,580
2025$20.51$20.51$22.666,620

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in West Virginia changed by +8.8% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in West Virginia

On federally funded construction in West Virginia, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 36 of the 55 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $41.14 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $29.44). 17 of the 55 counties still use a survey rate dated 2012 or earlier (for example Barbour County at $29.44). The market median for the state is $20.51.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, WVBarbour: $29.44 (survey)Berkeley: $41.14 (union)Boone: $42.87 (union)Braxton: $40.18 (union)Brooke: $41.14 (union)Cabell: $39.85 (survey)Calhoun: $29.44 (survey)Clay: $42.87 (union)Doddridge: $40.18 (union)Fayette: $41.41 (union)Gilmer: $29.44 (survey)Grant: $29.44 (survey)Greenbrier: $28.27 (survey)Hampshire: $27.51 (survey)Hancock: $41.14 (union)Hardy: $40.18 (union)Harrison: $40.18 (union)Jackson: $40.71 (union)Jefferson: $21.25 (survey)Kanawha: $42.87 (union)Lewis: $40.18 (union)Lincoln: $42.87 (union)Logan: $57.33 (union)McDowell: $39.51 (union)Marion: $41.14 (union)Marshall: $41.14 (union)Mason: $57.33 (union)Mercer: $39.51 (union)Mineral: $24.79 (survey)Mingo: $29.44 (survey)Monongalia: $41.14 (union)Monroe: $39.51 (union)Morgan: $27.51 (survey)Nicholas: $29.44 (survey)Ohio: $41.14 (union)Pendleton: $29.44 (survey)Pleasants: $44.82 (union)Pocahontas: $29.84 (survey)Preston: $41.14 (union)Putnam: $42.03 (union)Raleigh: $39.51 (union)Randolph: $40.18 (union)Ritchie: $40.71 (union)Roane: $29.44 (survey)Summers: $28.27 (survey)Taylor: $40.18 (union)Tucker: $40.18 (union)Tyler: $40.18 (union)Upshur: $40.18 (union)Wayne: $39.85 (survey)Webster: $29.44 (survey)Wetzel: $42.80 (union)Wirt: $44.82 (union)Wood: $44.82 (union)Wyoming: $29.44 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$29.44$39.85$40.39$41.53survey 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)Prevailing (survey)$10$20$30$40$50/hrWirt (Parkersburg): market median $20.03, prevailing (union) $44.82, gap +$24.79Wirt (Parkersburg)+$24.79Fayette (Beckley): market median $17.46, prevailing (union) $41.41, gap +$23.95Fayette (Beckley)+$23.95Berkeley (Hagerstown): market median $20.59, prevailing (union) $41.14, gap +$20.55Berkeley (Hagerstown)+$20.55Putnam (Huntington): market median $21.72, prevailing (union) $42.03, gap +$20.31Putnam (Huntington)+$20.31Boone (Charleston): market median $22.97, prevailing (union) $42.87, gap +$19.90Boone (Charleston)+$19.90Monongalia (Morgantown): market median $21.32, prevailing (union) $41.14, gap +$19.82Monongalia (Morgantown)+$19.82Brooke (Weirton): market median $21.56, prevailing (union) $41.14, gap +$19.58Brooke (Weirton)+$19.58Marshall (Wheeling): market median $22.02, prevailing (union) $41.14, gap +$19.12Marshall (Wheeling)+$19.12Hampshire (Winchester): market median $20.27, prevailing (survey) $27.51, gap +$7.24Hampshire (Winchester)+$7.24Jefferson (Washington DC): market median $22.80, prevailing (survey) $21.25, gap −$1.55Jefferson (Washington DC)−$1.55
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in West Virginia.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
LoganUnion PLAS0926-008 2024-06-01$31.97$25.36$57.33WV20260014
MasonUnion PLAS0926-008 2024-06-01$31.97$25.36$57.33WV20260016
PleasantsUnion LABO0379-019 2023-12-01$28.02$16.80$44.82WV20260045
WirtUnion LABO0379-019 2023-12-01$28.02$16.80$44.82WV20260051
WoodUnion LABO0379-019 2023-12-01$28.02$16.80$44.82WV20260051
BooneUnion LABO1353-005 2020-12-01$25.62$17.25$42.87WV20260049
ClayUnion LABO1353-005 2020-12-01$25.62$17.25$42.87WV20260049
KanawhaUnion LABO1353-005 2020-12-01$25.62$17.25$42.87WV20260038
LincolnUnion LABO1353-005 2020-12-01$25.62$17.25$42.87WV20260039
WetzelUnion LABO1149-005 2024-12-01$25.92$16.88$42.80WV20260032
PutnamUnion LABO1353-006 2020-12-01$24.78$17.25$42.03WV20260047
FayetteUnion LABO1353-004 2020-12-01$24.16$17.25$41.41WV20260006
BerkeleyUnion LABO0379-009 2024-12-01$24.94$16.20$41.14WV20260034
BrookeUnion LABO0379-015 2024-12-01$24.94$16.20$41.14WV20260050
HancockUnion LABO0379-015 2024-12-01$24.94$16.20$41.14WV20260050

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

Is construction work growing in West Virginia?

36.1kConstruction jobsWest Virginia, 2026-08
-1.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k60k1990199520002005201020152020202536kAug 2026
Construction employment in West Virginia (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
McDowell County12$83,385$1,604
Brooke County143$82,021$1,577
Putnam County1,081$81,436$1,566
Cabell County1,328$76,653$1,474
Marshall County328$76,068$1,463
Kanawha County2,097$75,814$1,458
Mineral County205$72,925$1,402
Harrison County1,125$72,447$1,393
Lewis County291$72,256$1,390
Wood County1,098$72,016$1,385
Wetzel County182$71,927$1,383
Monongalia County1,370$71,329$1,372

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in West Virginia

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in West Virginia?

The median construction laborer in West Virginia earned $20.51 an hour ($42,670 a year) in May 2025, 9% below the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $17.12–$26.34; the top 10% earn more than $29.11.

Where does West Virginia rank for construction laborer pay?

West Virginia ranks 43rd of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $20.51 an hour, and 33rd after adjusting for West Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 89.5, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in West Virginia?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for construction laborers in 36 counties, with a typical package of $41.14 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many construction laborers work in West Virginia?

BLS counted 6,620 construction laborers in West Virginia in May 2025, 9.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.34; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, West Virginia 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.