Construction laborers
SOC Code: 47-2061
Construction laborers carries a 15% AI exposure score (Low automation risk), with a median annual wage of $46,730 and +7.3% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 1,457,000 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 15% AI exposure, Construction laborers sits 22 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 2% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
70/100
Construction laborers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $46,730
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A +7.3%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 15% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Construction laborers in the Low band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Construction laborers keeps an No credential bar (109 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Construction laborers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Construction laborers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
15% Among the lowest lower than 98% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Construction laborers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Construction laborers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Construction laborers's Low automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 47-2061) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Construction laborers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Construction laborers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.
- 2. Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
- 3. Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.
- 4. Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes.
- 5. Perform site activities required of green certified construction practices, such as implementing waste management procedures, identifying materials for reuse, or installing erosion or sedimentation control mechanisms.
- 6. Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones.
- 7. Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment.
- 8. Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments.
- 9. Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.
- 10. Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools.
Key Skills Required
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Coordination
- Operation and Control
- Operations Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
Knowledge Areas
- Building and Construction
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
- Design
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Construction laborers?
Construction laborers has an AI exposure score of 15%, indicating a low level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Construction laborers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Construction laborers is projected to grow by 7.3% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 1,457,000 workers.
What skills are needed for Construction laborers?
Key skills for Construction laborers include Speaking, Active Listening, Coordination, and others. Typical entry-level education is No formal educational credential.
How much do Construction laborers earn?
The median annual wage for Construction laborers is $46,730, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Construction laborers?
The typical entry-level education for Construction laborers is No formal educational credential. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Construction laborers?
Construction laborers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Low automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Construction laborers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (15% here).
- Cement masons and concrete finishers · AI exposure 15%
- Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining · AI exposure 15%
- Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers · AI exposure 15%
- Millwrights · AI exposure 15%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+7.3% here).
- Biological science teachers, postsecondary · growth +7.3%
- Computer hardware engineers · growth +7.3%
- Light truck drivers · growth +7.3%
- Electrical engineers · growth +7.2%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 11 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Construction laborers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Construction laborers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).