A person working in Construction / Building / Installation in United States typically earns around 55,800 USD per year. Salaries range from 24,000 USD (lowest average) to 162,000 USD (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different Construction / Building / Installation careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Adjudicator | 37,700 USD |
Assembler | 30,900 USD |
Boat Builder and Shipwright | 47,500 USD |
Bricklayer | 25,300 USD |
Building Administrator | 41,700 USD |
Building Contracts Manager | 131,000 USD |
Building Inspector | 37,900 USD |
Building Monitor | 30,400 USD |
Building Sales Manager | 128,000 USD |
Cabinetmaker | 33,500 USD |
Carpenter | 34,700 USD |
Civil Engineer | 88,700 USD |
Civil Technician | 45,800 USD |
Concreter | 28,700 USD |
Construction and Maintenance Manager | 73,400 USD |
Construction Assistant | 34,200 USD |
Construction Coordinator | 50,800 USD |
Construction Estimator | 58,100 USD |
Construction Field Engineer | 80,200 USD |
Construction General Manager | 162,000 USD |
Construction Inventory Officer | 30,500 USD |
Construction Operations Manager | 154,000 USD |
Construction Project Coordinator | 93,900 USD |
Construction Project Engineer | 90,900 USD |
Construction Project Manager | 163,000 USD |
Construction Project Planner | 85,200 USD |
Construction Quality Control Manager | 125,000 USD |
Construction Safety Officer | 55,200 USD |
Construction Superintendent | 56,300 USD |
Construction Supervisor | 86,100 USD |
Construction Technical Assistant | 31,900 USD |
Construction Technical Officer | 40,400 USD |
Construction Technical Writer | 36,100 USD |
Construction Technician | 32,100 USD |
Crane and Tower Operator | 32,600 USD |
Diesel Mechanic | 28,100 USD |
Drywall Installer | 31,900 USD |
Electrical Draftsman | 32,700 USD |
Electrical Engineering Supervisor | 103,000 USD |
Electrical Engineering Technician | 38,200 USD |
Electrician | 44,600 USD |
Elevator Installer and Repairer | 40,700 USD |
Engineer | 89,200 USD |
Excavator Operator | 31,400 USD |
Floor Finisher | 36,000 USD |
Floor Manager | 50,200 USD |
Foreman | 25,100 USD |
Frame and Truss Detailer | 27,900 USD |
Furniture Finisher | 30,200 USD |
Gas Technician | 27,700 USD |
Handyman | 26,100 USD |
Health and Safety Coordinator | 37,300 USD |
Health and Safety Officer | 43,600 USD |
Installation Manager | 108,000 USD |
Installer | 26,200 USD |
Insulation Installer | 32,300 USD |
Labourer | 23,600 USD |
Land Surveyor | 38,600 USD |
Lift Technician | 30,800 USD |
Material Tester | 44,800 USD |
Model Maker | 47,500 USD |
Order Picker | 27,400 USD |
Painter | 29,100 USD |
Pipe Layer | 25,600 USD |
Pipefitter | 26,300 USD |
Plumber | 32,200 USD |
Property Coordinator | 73,000 USD |
Purchasing Manager | 104,000 USD |
Quantity Surveyor | 57,000 USD |
Roof Slater and Tiler | 27,900 USD |
Sheet Metal Mechanic | 31,700 USD |
Site Clerk | 30,900 USD |
Site engineer | 77,300 USD |
Site Leader | 137,000 USD |
Stock Controller | 43,700 USD |
Structural Steel Construction Worker | 33,300 USD |
Technical Draughtsman | 33,700 USD |
Tendering Manager | 136,000 USD |
Tower Crane Operator | 31,100 USD |
Wall and Floor Tiler | 29,800 USD |
Warehouse Manager | 97,100 USD |
Welder | 25,700 USD |
Welding Superintendent | 34,500 USD |
Construction / Building / Installation salaries in United States range from 24,000 USD per year (minimum average salary) to 162,000 USD per year (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 55,800 USD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working in Construction / Building / Installation are earning less than 55,800 USD while the other half are earning more than 55,800 USD. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of people working in Construction / Building / Installation are earning less than 35,900 USD while 75% of them are earning more than 35,900 USD. Also from the diagram, 75% of people working in Construction / Building / Installation are earning less than 109,000 USD while 25% are earning more than 109,000 USD.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher the wage.
Generally speaking, employees having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.
Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.
As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.
Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.
It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degrees levels across many jobs, below are our findings.
Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.
Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a cerificate or diploma.
Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.
Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in United States costs anywhere from 39,500 US Dollar(s) to 118,000 US Dollar(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
The decision really depends on your situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if you can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male employees in United States who work in Construction / Building / Installation earn 4% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 56,900 USD | |
Female | -4% | 54,500 USD |
Construction / Building / Installation professionals in United States are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 7% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
Banking | 4% | |
Energy | 8% | |
Information Technology | 3% | |
Healthcare | 7% | |
Travel | 2% | |
Construction | 6% | |
Education | 1% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in United States for the year 2020. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Construction / Building / Installation is considered to be a low bonus-based field due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
71% of surveyed staff in Construction / Building / Installation reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 29% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 3% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 29% | |
No Bonus | 71% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
The average salary for Construction / Building / Installation is 41% less than that of All Jobs.
City | Average Salary |
Atlanta | 56,300 USD |
Austin | 65,300 USD |
Baltimore | 57,100 USD |
Boston | 60,800 USD |
Bristol | 47,200 USD |
Chicago | 64,500 USD |
Cincinnati | 47,700 USD |
Cleveland | 49,300 USD |
Dallas | 66,500 USD |
Denver | 60,200 USD |
Detroit | 60,800 USD |
Honolulu | 47,100 USD |
Houston | 69,300 USD |
Indianapolis | 59,100 USD |
Iowa City | 46,000 USD |
Jacksonville | 63,900 USD |
Kansas City | 54,300 USD |
Kent | 46,600 USD |
Las Vegas | 56,800 USD |
Long Beach | 53,600 USD |
Los Angeles | 67,500 USD |
Memphis | 59,300 USD |
Miami | 54,600 USD |
Minneapolis | 49,600 USD |
New Orleans | 51,900 USD |
New York | 71,400 USD |
Oakland | 52,500 USD |
Oklahoma City | 55,900 USD |
Orlando | 50,000 USD |
Philadelphia | 65,600 USD |
Phoenix | 64,600 USD |
Sacramento | 55,300 USD |
San Antonio | 67,600 USD |
San Diego | 64,200 USD |
San Francisco | 61,400 USD |
San Jose | 63,100 USD |
Seattle | 58,900 USD |
Tampa | 51,700 USD |
Vancouver | 46,800 USD |
Washington D.C. | 60,900 USD |
State | Average Salary |
Alabama | 59,700 USD |
Alaska | 52,200 USD |
Arizona | 62,100 USD |
Arkansas | 57,500 USD |
California | 65,700 USD |
Colorado | 59,400 USD |
Connecticut | 57,700 USD |
Delaware | 53,600 USD |
District of Columbia | 52,500 USD |
Florida | 65,400 USD |
Georgia | 64,300 USD |
Hawaii | 55,000 USD |
Idaho | 55,100 USD |
Illinois | 65,100 USD |
Indiana | 62,200 USD |
Iowa | 57,600 USD |
Kansas | 57,600 USD |
Kentucky | 59,500 USD |
Louisiana | 59,500 USD |
Maine | 54,900 USD |
Maryland | 62,000 USD |
Massachusetts | 62,100 USD |
Michigan | 64,500 USD |
Minnesota | 61,000 USD |
Mississippi | 57,500 USD |
Missouri | 61,700 USD |
Montana | 54,600 USD |
Nebraska | 56,500 USD |
Nevada | 57,700 USD |
New Hampshire | 55,400 USD |
New Jersey | 64,400 USD |
New Mexico | 57,300 USD |
New York | 66,900 USD |
North Carolina | 59,000 USD |
North Dakota | 48,200 USD |
Ohio | 59,600 USD |
Oklahoma | 54,300 USD |
Oregon | 54,300 USD |
Pennsylvania | 60,400 USD |
Rhode Island | 49,500 USD |
South Carolina | 55,600 USD |
South Dakota | 49,600 USD |
Tennessee | 57,900 USD |
Texas | 61,800 USD |
Utah | 52,500 USD |
Vermont | 48,800 USD |
Virginia | 59,200 USD |
Washington | 58,700 USD |
West Virginia | 52,200 USD |
Wisconsin | 57,200 USD |
Wyoming | 48,500 USD |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in United States earn 5% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 92,400 USD | |
Public Sector | +5% | 97,100 USD |