How Much Can A Construction Worker/Laborer Earn?

If you’ve read our past articles, Highest Paying Trade Jobs, you’ll know that construction workers are some of the highest-skilled workers. However, in that article, we only briefly discussed how much a construction project manager can earn. Therefore, we’ll be taking a deeper look into how much the average construction worker can earn. This will give you a greater understanding of how much you can potentially earn. This will be important down the road as income is one of the main reasons why people get into skill trades at all. Therefore, let’s take a dive into how much construction workers can earn. However, we must look at the types of construction workers there are.

Types of Construction Workers

For those who don’t know, construction is an umbrella term. When people think of a “construction worker” they usually imagine someone with a hard hat working on buildings. While this may be true, it is only a fraction of the jobs that are under the term “construction”. If you didn’t already know this, you’re probably wondering what the other types of construction jobs are. Constructions include but are limited to building residential and commercial properties (laborer), plumbers, pipefitters, electricians, inspectors, and estimators.

We’re not going to go into every single avenue of every construction type job. Therefore, we’ll focus on the laborers since that’s most likely what people clicked on this article to learn. Therefore, what is a construction laborer?

The responsibilities of construction laborers are truly vast. Some responsibilities include mixing concrete, installing drainpipes and pouring concrete/asphalt of roads. These jobs are extremely labor-intensive and often last longer than your average work schedule. If you’re going into construction, expect to be on-site before the sun comes up. However, this will vary depending on the job at hand. Furthermore, it’s common to work 10-12 hour shifts as well. However, if you’d like a longer list of responsibilities that construction laborers have, click the picture above.

How To Become A Construction Worker/Laborer

There are a few different paths that you can take to become a construction worker. However, we’re going to discuss a more linear way of doing it. It is true that you can learn the trade on the job. However, these opportunities aren’t easy to come by. It’ll be very difficult for you to approach a construction company and receive a job without prior knowledge, training and/or education. There are instances where it has happened. However, since it is not the norm we shall cover the most linear and probably option for most people looking to join this particular workforce.

Trade School

The first step that most people should look into is applying to a trade school. Furthermore, this is a great option if you’re just finishing high school. However, you may be wondering how much it’ll cost to go to trade school. While it is not cheap by any means, it costs significantly less than the average university degree.

Above is a picture illustrating the amount of money you’ll have to pay per-term at Fanshaw. If you click the picture, it’ll direct you to their website where they have a full breakdown of what is included in these fees. However, This particular trade school charges approximately $2,000 per term. If you’ve read our article about lucrative university degrees, you’ll know that this is under half of what the typical university tuition is. If you’re worried about the cost, financial aid is often available or you can save up money at your own pace. There is no rush, especially if this is something that you really want to do.

Apprenticeship

Your next step is to acquire an apprenticeship position. The best part about becoming an apprentice is that you’re getting paid to learn. During your program, the company that you’re with will teach you (almost) everything you need to know. It is true that in trade school you’ll gain hands-on experience. However, you’ll experience jobs that are a lot different from what you’ve been previously taught. I have personally experienced this in many of my previous jobs. During training, they’ll give you the theory and put you in perfect scenarios. However, on the job, you’ll be faced with problems that you’ve never experienced before.

There are various apprenticeship programs that have different lengths. Furthermore, the amount you get paid can depend on a few factors. I’ve known people who started their apprenticeships earning $50,000 per year. However, the amount you get paid during an apprenticeship depends on the field of trade as well.

Getting paid to learn is a benefit not usually awarded to undergrads in university. Therefore, learning through an apprenticeship may be more rewarding because you’re seeing an immediate return on your investment of time. This can help you (and many others) stay motivated because the process can be quite long. Therefore, anything that’ll keep you motivated is a strong positive.

Possible Degree

If you have the passion to go further in your career as a construction worker, you may want to consider a possible degree. However, the degree that people often pursue can vary. For example, construction workers who pursue degrees often go for construction engineering or business management. This is because the information that is given within construction engineering can help you when trying to receive a job that overlooks a site. Furthermore, if you’re looking to create your own construction company, earning a degree will help you. The degree can act as some sort of credibility that is an addition to your already vast amounts of experience.

For most construction workers, business management is a foreign concept. Therefore, taking a few courses will help you gain knowledge on how to handle starting and maintaining a business. From how to handle employees to building a solid foundation for your business. However, you can create a construction company without going to university. This is completely possible but the point is to receive guidance if you don’t know how to own or operate your own business.

How Much Can Construction Workers Earn?

Now, onto how much money construction workers can earn. Before we get into it, the picture below is a representation of 162 submitted salaries. However, it is extremely common for you to earn more than both the median and highest reported income.

In the picture above, it illustrates that the average income for a construction worker is just under $40,000 a year. While this is a by no means a small amount of money, some people may anticipate that they’d make more. While it is common to make over $60,000, there are a few things that you may need to consider when looking for more income. First is experience. Don’t expect an $80,000 salary right off the bat.

Once you’ve garnered enough experience, you become an asset. Therefore, you can negotiate what you’re worth. Finding a good company is crucial. A company that gives benefits and pays out bonuses is a huge asset, especially if you have a family. Gain experience, find a great company and negotiate what you think you’re worth. Trades, particularly construction, is a field where experience is the golden commodity. Companies are willing to pay more for someone who knows what they’re doing and requires little supervision.

If you’re looking to go into construction, it can be a great and lucrative experience. Don’t expect to be living a luxury life right off the bat. However, with a lot of hard work, dedication, and motivation, you can earn a substantial amount of money. The best part is that it costs less time and money than most university degrees.

Shameed Chris Khan

Shameed is just a man on a mission to help those around him gain financial success. Obsessed with writing about all things finance, this GTA native is constantly learning and sharing his experiences with others.