Construction Laborers Salary
Construction Laborers in Merced, CA make a median of $54,440 a year, or about $26.17 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.28), that's roughly $55,393 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,503/month, about 42.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Merced?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Merced’s Regional Price Parity (98.28). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About construction laborers
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What this looks like in Merced
Merced sits well above the national pay line for construction laborers, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,503/month, which is 40.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.28) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for construction laborers in metros near Merced, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $59K | $52K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $60K | $56K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $73K | $63K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $57K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Merced, CA
Entry-level construction laborers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $62K spread from bottom to top.
Construction Laborers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Construction Laborers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $77K | +64% | 4,580 |
| New Jersey | $64K | +36% | 23,590 |
| Massachusetts | $63K | +35% | 16,210 |
| Illinois | $61K | +29% | 35,940 |
| California | $60K | +28% | 88,240 |
| Minnesota | $60K | +28% | 28,530 |
| Connecticut | $58K | +24% | 7,360 |
| Alaska | $58K | +23% | 3,690 |
| Washington | $58K | +22% | 25,060 |
| Rhode Island | $57K | +21% | 2,110 |
| Missouri | $57K | +20% | 17,050 |
| Wisconsin | $56K | +19% | 20,330 |
| Ohio | $56K | +19% | 31,910 |
| New York | $56K | +19% | 52,090 |
| Oregon | $51K | +8% | 12,620 |
| Indiana | $50K | +6% | 28,600 |
| District of Columbia | $50K | +6% | 2,090 |
| New Hampshire | $50K | +6% | 4,330 |
| Montana | $50K | +6% | 4,590 |
| Michigan | $50K | +5% | 28,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $49K | +5% | 35,920 |
| North Dakota | $49K | +4% | 5,050 |
| Nevada | $49K | +4% | 11,890 |
| Vermont | $49K | +3% | 1,430 |
| Iowa | $48K | +3% | 13,780 |
| Colorado | $48K | +2% | 18,680 |
| Nebraska | $47K | +0% | 8,530 |
| Maryland | $47K | -0% | 20,920 |
| Idaho | $47K | -0% | 10,850 |
| Arizona | $47K | -1% | 37,630 |
| Utah | $47K | -1% | 20,950 |
| Maine | $46K | -1% | 3,960 |
| Wyoming | $46K | -2% | 3,350 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -3% | 1,780 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -3% | 13,280 |
| Delaware | $46K | -3% | 3,240 |
| Tennessee | $45K | -4% | 26,250 |
| Kansas | $45K | -5% | 9,990 |
| North Carolina | $45K | -5% | 35,620 |
| Florida | $44K | -7% | 87,040 |
| Virginia | $44K | -8% | 25,830 |
| South Carolina | $43K | -9% | 19,620 |
| West Virginia | $43K | -9% | 6,620 |
| Texas | $41K | -14% | 123,250 |
| Oklahoma | $39K | -16% | 13,710 |
| Georgia | $39K | -17% | 27,800 |
| New Mexico | $38K | -19% | 12,470 |
| Louisiana | $38K | -19% | 22,100 |
| Mississippi | $38K | -20% | 8,800 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -20% | 10,650 |
| Alabama | $37K | -22% | 18,400 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track construction laborers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Merced numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a construction laborer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Merced?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 40.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,503/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for construction laborers in Merced?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new construction laborers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,267/month. At HUD’s $1,503/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Merced?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $54K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Merced compare to the national average for construction laborers?
Merced pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do construction laborers make in Merced, CA?
The median is $54,440 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,780, and experienced construction laborers can clear $99,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Merced?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,685/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,503/month, which eats 40.8% 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 Merced?
Merced has a Regional Price Parity of 98.28 (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 $55,393 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.