Construction Laborers Salary
Construction Laborers in Pennsylvania make a median of $49,400 a year, or about $23.75 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $52,016 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 39.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $49K get you in Pennsylvania?
About construction laborers
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Construction laborers pay in Pennsylvania tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $47K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 40.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% 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, Pennsylvania
Entry-level construction laborers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Construction Laborers salary by metro in Pennsylvania
16 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $55K | +12% | 14,580 |
| State College | $53K | +8% | 620 |
| Pittsburgh | $51K | +2% | 8,620 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $50K | +1% | 1,370 |
| York-Hanover | $49K | -0% | 1,250 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $49K | -0% | 1,670 |
| Reading | $49K | -1% | 990 |
| Lancaster | $49K | -1% | 2,270 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $48K | -2% | 1,450 |
| Gettysburg | $48K | -3% | 240 |
| Lebanon | $48K | -4% | 240 |
| Chambersburg | $47K | -5% | 440 |
| Erie | $46K | -6% | 540 |
| Williamsport | $46K | -6% | 250 |
| Altoona | $46K | -7% | 350 |
| Johnstown | $45K | -8% | 210 |
Showing 1–10 of 16 metros
Compare to other states
Track construction laborers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a construction laborer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 40.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/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 Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new construction laborers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,249/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $47K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for construction laborers?
Pennsylvania pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do construction laborers make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $49,400 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,480, and experienced construction laborers can clear $74,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,351/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 40.3% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $52,016 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.