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Salary comparison

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas vs. Construction Laborers: Who Earns More?

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gass out-earn Construction Laborerss by $13K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gass land at $60,190 and Construction Laborerss at $47,120. The education gap is real: earth drillers, except oil and ga programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while construction laborer programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gass is Washington ($80,490); for Construction Laborerss it's Hawaii ($77,110).

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
Construction Laborers
Median salary
$60,190
$47,120
Hourly rate
$28.94/hr
$22.66/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$44,460
$35,090
Senior level (90th %)
$83,800
$78,090
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
19,450
1,096,780
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
7.3%
Category
Construction & Trades
Construction & Trades
Top-paying state
Washington
Hawaii

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas median pay.

State
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
Construction Laborers
Washington
$80,490
$57,720
Alaska
$80,040
$58,060
Illinois
$79,080
$60,690
New Jersey
$77,950
$64,060
Wisconsin
$68,320
$56,100
California
$66,910
$60,270
New Hampshire
$66,410
$49,980
Connecticut
$65,710
$58,290
Oregon
$64,920
$50,860
Massachusetts
$64,180
$63,390
Minnesota
$63,790
$60,260
Indiana
$62,750
$50,070
Ohio
$61,010
$56,080
New York
$60,860
$55,930
Missouri
$51,530
$56,730

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gass or Construction Laborerss?

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gass earn more nationally. The median is $60,190 for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gass versus $47,120 for Construction Laborerss, a difference of $13K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas or Construction Laborers?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas or Construction Laborers?

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Construction Laborers requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gass get paid the most?

Washington is the top-paying state for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gass at $80,490/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas vs. Construction Laborers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Washington, Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gass earn $80,490 vs. $57,720 for Construction Laborerss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas salary breakdownView →Full Construction Laborers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gass by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Construction Laborerss by take-home payExplore →How to become a earth drillers, except oil and gasGuide →How to become a construction laborersGuide →