Construction Laborers Salary
Construction Laborers in Michigan make a median of $49,590 a year, or about $23.84 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $70K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.89), which stretches that salary to about $52,817 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 37.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Michigan. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $50K get you in Michigan?
About construction laborers
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What this looks like in Michigan
Construction laborers pay in Michigan tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $47K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,272/month, which is 38.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Michigan
Entry-level construction laborers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $70K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Construction Laborers salary by metro in Michigan
15 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lansing-East Lansing | $58K | +16% | 1,450 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $57K | +16% | 11,610 |
| Flint | $57K | +15% | 980 |
| Battle Creek | $57K | +14% | 220 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $51K | +4% | 620 |
| Monroe | $51K | +3% | 330 |
| Ann Arbor | $51K | +3% | 510 |
| Saginaw | $49K | -1% | 540 |
| Midland | $49K | -2% | 270 |
| Traverse City | $48K | -2% | 740 |
| Jackson | $48K | -3% | 340 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $48K | -4% | 3,990 |
| Bay City | $47K | -4% | 250 |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores | $47K | -5% | 270 |
| Niles | $47K | -6% | 290 |
Showing 1–10 of 15 metros
Compare to other states
Track construction laborers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Michigan numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a construction laborer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Michigan?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 38.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for construction laborers in Michigan?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new construction laborers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,233/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Michigan?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $47K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Michigan compare to the national average for construction laborers?
Michigan pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do construction laborers make in Michigan?
The median is $49,590 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,220, and experienced construction laborers can clear $69,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Michigan?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,315/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 38.4% 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 Michigan?
Michigan has a Regional Price Parity of 93.89 (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 $52,817 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.