Construction Laborers Salary
Construction Laborers in Alabama make a median of $36,900 a year, or about $17.74 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.36), which stretches that salary to about $41,761 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,085/month, about 43.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Alabama. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $37K get you in Alabama?
About construction laborers
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What this looks like in Alabama
Pay for construction laborers in Alabama runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,085/month, which is 43.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.36 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for construction laborerss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Alabama
Entry-level construction laborers (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Construction Laborers salary by metro in Alabama
12 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $38K | +4% | 970 |
| Birmingham | $38K | +4% | 4,780 |
| Decatur | $38K | +2% | 690 |
| Huntsville | $38K | +2% | 1,670 |
| Mobile | $37K | -0% | 2,050 |
| Montgomery | $37K | -1% | 1,040 |
| Tuscaloosa | $36K | -1% | 1,110 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals | $36K | -2% | 560 |
| Auburn-Opelika | $36K | -2% | 670 |
| Anniston-Oxford | $34K | -8% | 240 |
| Gadsden | $33K | -11% | 280 |
| Dothan | $32K | -13% | 600 |
Showing 1–10 of 12 metros
Compare to other states
Track construction laborers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Alabama numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a construction laborer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Alabama?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 43.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,085/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for construction laborers in Alabama?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new construction laborers typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,439/month. At HUD’s $1,085/month FMR, rent would take 75% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is construction laborer a high-paying job in Alabama?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $37K here vs. $47K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Alabama compare to the national average for construction laborers?
Alabama pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.36), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do construction laborers make in Alabama?
The median is $36,900 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,980, and experienced construction laborers can clear $49,740. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Alabama?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,501/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,085/month, which eats 43.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a construction laborers salary go in Alabama?
Alabama has a Regional Price Parity of 88.36 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median construction laborers salary is worth about $41,761 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do construction laborers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.