Construction Laborers Salary
Construction Laborers in New York make a median of $55,930 a year, or about $26.89 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $97K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.21), that's roughly $56,949 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,917/month, about 52.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New York. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $56K get you in New York?
About construction laborers
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What this looks like in New York
New York sits well above the national pay line for construction laborers, local pay runs about 19% 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 $1,917/month, which is 51.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.21) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York
Entry-level construction laborers (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $97K or more, a $62K spread from bottom to top.
Construction Laborers salary by metro in New York
13 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $61K | +10% | 50,870 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $54K | -4% | 1,640 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $53K | -5% | 2,700 |
| Binghamton | $51K | -9% | 650 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $51K | -9% | 2,790 |
| Utica-Rome | $50K | -11% | 550 |
| Elmira | $50K | -11% | 130 |
| Kingston | $50K | -11% | 430 |
| Rochester | $49K | -12% | 2,550 |
| Syracuse | $49K | -12% | 1,660 |
| Glens Falls | $49K | -12% | 370 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum | $48K | -13% | 290 |
| Ithaca | $47K | -16% | 130 |
Showing 1–10 of 13 metros
Compare to other states
Track construction laborers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New York numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a construction laborer afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 51.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,917/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 New York?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new construction laborers typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,059/month. At HUD’s $1,917/month FMR, rent would take 93% 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 New York?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $56K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does New York compare to the national average for construction laborers?
New York pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do construction laborers make in New York?
The median is $55,930 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,320, and experienced construction laborers can clear $96,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in New York?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,709/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,917/month, which eats 51.7% 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 New York?
New York has a Regional Price Parity of 98.21 (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 $56,949 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.