Best paying construction jobs

The highest-paying occupations in construction, ranked with median wage weighted heaviest.

Search live jobs How we score
How this ranking is scored
score = .70·pay + .10·growth + .10·employment + .10·openings
Each factor is scaled to the strongest occupation on this list, then weighted and summed. Weights differ by list type. Full methodology.
Wages — OEWS May 2025
Growth & openings — EP 2024–34
Rank by Overall score ·Pay ·Growth ·Openings
Compare · management·business and finance·technology
#
Occupation
MEDIAN PAY
P25–P75
Growth
Employed
Open/yr
Score
01
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-4021
$109,910
+5.0%
23,790
2,000
100
02
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-1011
$79,920
+5.3%
812,210
74,400
91
03
Electricians · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-2111
$63,190
+9.5%
757,220
81,000
78
04
Construction Laborers · No formal educational credential · 47-2061
$47,120
+7.3%
1.1M
129,400
72
05
Carpenters · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-2031
$60,580
+4.5%
670,090
74,100
72
06
Construction and Building Inspectors · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-4011
$74,690
-0.8%
146,720
14,800
70
07
Roof Bolters, Mining · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-5043
$78,540
-34.2%
2,160
100
70
08
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-2152
$63,800
+4.5%
465,840
44,000
69
09
Boilermakers · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-2011
$76,410
-2.4%
10,190
800
68
10
Terrazzo Workers and Finishers · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-2053
$76,170
-11.1%
1,180
100
68
11
Pile Driver Operators · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-2072
$73,300
+4.3%
2,310
300
67
12
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining · No formal educational credential · 47-5044
$74,500
-22.3%
5,930
500
66
13
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-2073
$59,850
+3.6%
478,090
41,900
65
14
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-4061
$70,070
+1.6%
19,580
1,100
63
15
Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other · No formal educational credential · 47-5049
$70,130
-6.1%
3,180
400
63
16
Solar Photovoltaic Installers · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-2231
$53,140
+42.1%
31,350
4,100
62
17
Tapers · No formal educational credential · 47-2082
$68,270
+0.1%
12,840
1,100
61
18
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas · No formal educational credential · 47-5012
$67,890
+0.2%
12,600
1,200
61
19
Structural Iron and Steel Workers · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-2221
$62,780
+4.4%
68,380
5,500
59
20
Sheet Metal Workers · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-2211
$61,800
+2.4%
119,770
10,600
58
21
Brickmasons and Blockmasons · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-2021
$62,120
+3.2%
52,550
5,600
58
22
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers · No formal educational credential · 47-2081
$58,930
+4.2%
83,080
7,700
56
23
Continuous Mining Machine Operators · No formal educational credential · 47-5041
$61,810
+0.6%
14,000
1,600
56
24
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers · No formal educational credential · 47-2051
$57,020
+1.8%
206,170
14,300
56
25
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas · High school diploma or equivalent · 47-5023
$60,190
+2.9%
19,450
1,700
55
Showing top 25 of 60 scored occupations — show all 60show top 25
#
Occupation
MEDIAN PAY
Growth
Score
26
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters · High school diploma or equivalent
$61,390
-0.9%
55
27
Roofers · No formal educational credential
$55,440
+5.9%
54
28
Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers · High school diploma or equivalent
$58,970
+4.6%
54
29
Insulation Workers, Mechanical · High school diploma or equivalent
$58,340
+4.7%
54
30
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles · No formal educational credential
$56,460
+9.5%
54
31
Tile and Stone Setters · No formal educational credential
$55,690
+10.1%
54
32
Glaziers · High school diploma or equivalent
$57,080
+3.3%
53
33
Plasterers and Stucco Masons · No formal educational credential
$57,660
+4.1%
53
34
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas · No formal educational credential
$58,160
+0.4%
53
35
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas · No formal educational credential
$58,620
+0.5%
53
36
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining · High school diploma or equivalent
$57,430
-0.4%
52
37
Extraction Workers, All Other · High school diploma or equivalent
$57,010
+1.4%
51
38
Stonemasons · High school diploma or equivalent
$57,390
-3.0%
51
39
Painters, Construction and Maintenance · No formal educational credential
$49,400
+3.8%
51
40
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators · High school diploma or equivalent
$53,340
+3.2%
50
41
Highway Maintenance Workers · High school diploma or equivalent
$50,260
+3.0%
49
42
Paperhangers · No formal educational credential
$52,140
+5.3%
48
43
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners · High school diploma or equivalent
$49,880
+7.6%
48
44
Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers · High school diploma or equivalent
$49,910
+3.5%
46
45
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall · No formal educational credential
$49,120
+3.8%
46
46
Floor Sanders and Finishers · No formal educational credential
$50,440
+2.6%
46
47
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers · High school diploma or equivalent
$49,450
+1.0%
46
48
Carpet Installers · No formal educational credential
$50,340
-9.6%
45
49
Rock Splitters, Quarry · No formal educational credential
$48,740
+4.4%
45
50
Fence Erectors · No formal educational credential
$47,980
+4.6%
45
51
Pipelayers · No formal educational credential
$49,000
-4.1%
44
52
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas · No formal educational credential
$46,960
+2.5%
44
53
Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters · No formal educational credential
$47,550
-10.5%
43
54
Helpers--Extraction Workers · High school diploma or equivalent
$47,730
-1.7%
43
55
Helpers--Roofers · No formal educational credential
$44,160
+5.7%
41
56
Helpers--Carpenters · No formal educational credential
$43,780
+4.5%
41
57
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · High school diploma or equivalent
$42,360
+4.9%
40
58
Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other · No formal educational credential
$42,670
+4.4%
40
59
Helpers--Electricians · High school diploma or equivalent
$42,670
+0.2%
40
60
Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons · No formal educational credential
$40,470
+2.3%
37
Fastest-growing construction careers
01 Solar Photovoltaic Installers +42.1%
02 Tile and Stone Setters +10.1%
03 Electricians +9.5%
04 Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles +9.5%
05 Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners +7.6%
construction careers without a four-year degree
01 Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $109,910
02 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $79,920
03 Electricians $63,190
04 Construction Laborers $47,120
05 Carpenters $60,580
Live jobs in construction

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About construction careers
How many construction careers are there?

Jobs.best ranks 60 construction occupations with published wages, from OEWS May 2025.

What is the highest-paying construction job?

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers, with a national median of $109,910.

Can you enter construction without a degree?

Yes — 5 of the ranked construction occupations typically need no four-year degree, including Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers.

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