Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in Wisconsin

Median $26.97 an hour for 20,330 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$26.97/hrMedian hourly wageWisconsin, May data
$56,100/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.26 – $38.9010th to 90th percentilehourly range
20,330Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Construction laborer pay in Wisconsin: the full range

Wage percentiles, WisconsinMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrWisconsin: 10th $18.26 · 25th $22.14 · median $26.97 · 75th $34.68 · 90th $38.90Wisconsin$26.97$18.26$38.90United 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: Wisconsin vs United States, May 2025.

Wisconsin ranks 12th of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 7th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $28.66). 20,330 construction laborers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.26 – $22.14$37,990 – $46,060roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$22.14 – $34.68$46,060 – $72,130the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$34.68 – $38.90$72,130 – $80,920the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in Wisconsin

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrMinneapolis: $29.79Minneapolis$29.79Duluth: $29.49Duluth$29.49Appleton: $28.49Appleton$28.49La Crosse: $28.32La Crosse$28.32Eau Claire: $28.00Eau Claire$28.00Milwaukee: $27.61Milwaukee$27.61Madison: $27.40Madison$27.40Sheboygan: $27.14Sheboygan$27.14Fond du Lac: $27.02Fond du Lac$27.02Janesville: $26.77Janesville$26.77Green Bay: $26.39Green Bay$26.39Racine: $26.11Racine$26.11
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in Wisconsin, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Minneapolis$21.09$29.79$46.4817,33010% above
Duluth$20.97$29.49$42.991,3909% above
Appleton$18.55$28.49$39.851,0306% above
La Crosse$18.70$28.32$36.486105% above
Eau Claire$18.45$28.00$38.176404% above
Milwaukee$18.41$27.61$40.154,7402% above
Madison$17.60$27.40$38.682,3702% above
Sheboygan$18.18$27.14$35.803101% above
Fond du Lac$18.72$27.02$38.07420about the same as
Janesville$17.81$26.77$38.414801% below
Green Bay$18.32$26.39$38.041,1602% below
Racine$18.46$26.11$38.765403% below
Wausau$18.71$25.30$38.015106% below
Oshkosh$18.74$24.65$37.735609% below
Kenosha$18.04$24.06$37.3934011% below

Construction laborer wages in Wisconsin over time

Wisconsin, 1999-2025WisconsinUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$5$10$15$20$25$30200020052010201520202025$26.97Wisconsin$22.66United States
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, Wisconsin vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearWisconsin $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.65$28.31$10.8512,580
2000$14.44$27.00$11.1514,890
2001$15.56$28.29$11.5714,610
2002$16.54$29.60$11.9013,280
2003$16.26$28.45$11.8613,050
2004$15.83$26.98$12.1014,050
2005$15.88$26.18$12.2213,330
2006$16.42$26.22$12.6613,160
2007$17.83$27.68$13.1313,280
2008$18.96$28.35$13.7112,640
2009$19.18$28.78$14.0111,590
2010$18.21$26.89$14.0810,830
2011$17.94$25.68$14.3010,850
2012$17.60$24.68$14.4210,840
2013$17.43$24.09$14.6411,830
2014$17.86$24.29$14.9513,070
2015$17.77$24.14$15.3413,900
2016$18.70$25.08$16.0713,240
2017$19.04$25.01$16.6013,780
2018$19.69$25.24$17.2115,100
2019$19.70$24.81$17.7216,280
2020$19.44$24.18$18.2215,860
2021$21.96$26.09$18.1615,220
2022$22.49$24.74$19.5917,990
2023$23.72$25.06$21.7819,280
2024$24.99$25.65$22.4719,220
2025$26.97$26.97$22.6620,330

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

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in Wisconsin

On federally funded construction in Wisconsin, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 72 of the 72 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $56.32 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $26.97.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, WIAdams: $56.32 (union)Ashland: $56.32 (union)Barron: $56.32 (union)Bayfield: $56.32 (union)Brown: $57.02 (union)Buffalo: $56.32 (union)Burnett: $56.32 (union)Calumet: $57.02 (union)Chippewa: $57.67 (union)Clark: $56.32 (union)Columbia: $56.32 (union)Crawford: $56.32 (union)Dane: $57.67 (union)Dodge: $56.32 (union)Door: $56.32 (union)Douglas: $59.51 (union)Dunn: $56.32 (union)Eau Claire: $57.67 (union)Florence: $56.32 (union)Fond du Lac: $56.32 (union)Forest: $56.32 (union)Grant: $56.32 (union)Green: $56.32 (union)Green Lake: $56.32 (union)Iowa: $56.32 (union)Iron: $56.32 (union)Jackson: $56.32 (union)Jefferson: $56.32 (union)Juneau: $56.32 (union)Kenosha: $63.13 (union)Kewaunee: $56.32 (union)La Crosse: $57.67 (union)Lafayette: $56.32 (union)Langlade: $56.32 (union)Lincoln: $56.32 (union)Manitowoc: $56.32 (union)Marathon: $57.02 (union)Marinette: $56.32 (union)Marquette: $56.32 (union)Menominee: $56.32 (union)Milwaukee: $64.40 (union)Monroe: $56.32 (union)Oconto: $56.32 (union)Oneida: $56.32 (union)Outagamie: $57.02 (union)Ozaukee: $64.40 (union)Pepin: $56.32 (union)Pierce: $57.67 (union)Polk: $56.32 (union)Portage: $56.32 (union)Price: $56.32 (union)Racine: $63.13 (union)Richland: $56.32 (union)Rock: $57.67 (union)Rusk: $56.32 (union)St. Croix: $57.67 (union)Sauk: $56.32 (union)Sawyer: $56.32 (union)Shawano: $56.32 (union)Sheboygan: $57.02 (union)Taylor: $56.32 (union)Trempealeau: $56.32 (union)Vernon: $56.32 (union)Vilas: $56.32 (union)Walworth: $56.32 (union)Washburn: $56.32 (union)Washington: $64.40 (union)Waukesha: $64.40 (union)Waupaca: $56.32 (union)Waushara: $56.32 (union)Winnebago: $57.02 (union)Wood: $56.32 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$57.02
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/hrKenosha (Kenosha): market median $24.06, prevailing (union) $63.13, gap +$39.07Kenosha (Kenosha)+$39.07Racine (Racine): market median $26.11, prevailing (union) $63.13, gap +$37.02Racine (Racine)+$37.02Milwaukee (Milwaukee): market median $27.61, prevailing (union) $64.40, gap +$36.79Milwaukee (Milwaukee)+$36.79Winnebago (Oshkosh): market median $24.65, prevailing (union) $57.02, gap +$32.37Winnebago (Oshkosh)+$32.37Marathon (Wausau): market median $25.30, prevailing (union) $57.02, gap +$31.72Marathon (Wausau)+$31.72Rock (Janesville): market median $26.77, prevailing (union) $57.67, gap +$30.90Rock (Janesville)+$30.90Brown (Green Bay): market median $26.39, prevailing (union) $57.02, gap +$30.63Brown (Green Bay)+$30.63Dane (Madison): market median $27.40, prevailing (union) $57.67, gap +$30.27Dane (Madison)+$30.27Douglas (Duluth): market median $29.49, prevailing (union) $59.51, gap +$30.02Douglas (Duluth)+$30.02Sheboygan (Sheboygan): market median $27.14, prevailing (union) $57.02, gap +$29.88Sheboygan (Sheboygan)+$29.88Chippewa (Eau Claire): market median $28.00, prevailing (union) $57.67, gap +$29.67Chippewa (Eau Claire)+$29.67La Crosse (La Crosse): market median $28.32, prevailing (union) $57.67, gap +$29.35La Crosse (La Crosse)+$29.35Fond du Lac (Fond du Lac): market median $27.02, prevailing (union) $56.32, gap +$29.30Fond du Lac (Fond du Lac)+$29.30Calumet (Appleton): market median $28.49, prevailing (union) $57.02, gap +$28.53Calumet (Appleton)+$28.53Pierce (Minneapolis): market median $29.79, prevailing (union) $57.67, gap +$27.88Pierce (Minneapolis)+$27.88
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in Wisconsin.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
MilwaukeeUnion LABO0113-001 2025-06-02$40.48$23.92$64.40WI20260001
OzaukeeUnion LABO0113-001 2025-06-02$40.48$23.92$64.40WI20260001
WashingtonUnion LABO0113-001 2025-06-02$40.48$23.92$64.40WI20260001
WaukeshaUnion LABO0113-001 2025-06-02$40.48$23.92$64.40WI20260001
KenoshaUnion LABO0113-012 2025-06-01$38.71$24.42$63.13WI20260004
RacineUnion LABO0113-012 2025-06-01$38.71$24.42$63.13WI20260009
DouglasUnion LABO1091-008 2025-05-01$36.04$23.47$59.51WI20260007
ChippewaUnion LABO0268-002 2025-06-01$37.70$19.97$57.67WI20260006
DaneUnion LABO0464-001 2025-06-01$37.70$19.97$57.67WI20260005
Eau ClaireUnion LABO0268-002 2025-06-01$37.70$19.97$57.67WI20260006
La CrosseUnion LABO0140-001 2025-06-01$37.70$19.97$57.67WI20260003
PierceUnion LABO0268-002 2025-06-01$37.70$19.97$57.67WI20260013
RockUnion LABO0464-004 2025-06-01$37.70$19.97$57.67WI20260012
St. CroixUnion LABO0268-002 2025-06-01$37.70$19.97$57.67WI20260013
BrownUnion LABO0330-004 2025-06-01$37.05$19.97$57.02WI20260014

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

Is construction work growing in Wisconsin?

167.3kConstruction jobsWisconsin, 2026-08
+7.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202650k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025167kAug 2026
Construction employment in Wisconsin (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
Bayfield County271$111,909$2,152
Racine County3,219$97,833$1,881
Milwaukee County9,679$90,054$1,732
Waukesha County14,002$89,440$1,720
Fond du Lac County1,784$88,767$1,707
Outagamie County6,024$86,801$1,669
Winnebago County3,218$85,901$1,652
Dodge County1,226$84,364$1,622
Dane County10,631$83,128$1,599
Brown County5,798$79,780$1,534
Marathon County2,174$79,227$1,524
Dunn County566$78,118$1,502

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Wisconsin

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in Wisconsin?

The median construction laborer in Wisconsin earned $26.97 an hour ($56,100 a year) in May 2025, 19% above the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $22.14–$34.68; the top 10% earn more than $38.90.

Where does Wisconsin rank for construction laborer pay?

Wisconsin ranks 12th of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $26.97 an hour, and 7th after adjusting for Wisconsin's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.1, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in Wisconsin?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for construction laborers in 72 counties, with a typical package of $56.32 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many construction laborers work in Wisconsin?

BLS counted 20,330 construction laborers in Wisconsin in May 2025, 6.9 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.98; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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