Construction Laborers Salary
Construction Laborers in Texas make a median of $40,620 a year, or about $19.53 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $44,398 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 48.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $41K get you in Texas?
About construction laborers
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What this looks like in Texas
Pay for construction laborers in Texas runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 49% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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, Texas
Entry-level construction laborers (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Construction Laborers salary by metro in Texas
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $44K | +9% | 3,340 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $44K | +8% | 11,140 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $44K | +8% | 29,670 |
| Sherman-Denison | $44K | +7% | 490 |
| Corpus Christi | $42K | +4% | 2,640 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $41K | +2% | 34,080 |
| Midland | $40K | -3% | 1,970 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $39K | -3% | 8,400 |
| Odessa | $38K | -6% | 970 |
| Amarillo | $38K | -6% | 970 |
| Abilene | $38K | -6% | 570 |
| Longview | $38K | -7% | 1,610 |
| Tyler | $38K | -7% | 650 |
| Killeen-Temple | $38K | -7% | 940 |
| Waco | $38K | -7% | 1,220 |
| College Station-Bryan | $37K | -8% | 770 |
| Lubbock | $37K | -9% | 980 |
| Victoria | $37K | -9% | 340 |
| San Angelo | $37K | -9% | 240 |
| Wichita Falls | $37K | -10% | 240 |
| Texarkana | $36K | -10% | 450 |
| El Paso | $36K | -12% | 2,140 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $35K | -13% | 460 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $34K | -15% | 1,360 |
| Laredo | $34K | -17% | 400 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
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Track construction laborers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a construction laborer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 49% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for construction laborers in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new construction laborers typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,954/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Texas?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $41K here vs. $47K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for construction laborers?
Texas pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do construction laborers make in Texas?
The median is $40,620 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,560, and experienced construction laborers can clear $56,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,890/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 49% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $44,398 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.