Construction Laborers Salary in Philadelphia, PA (2024)
Construction Laborers in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn a median of $53,200 per year ($25.58 per hour) based on 14,600 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +13.8% against the national median of $46,730 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where construction laborers actually sit across the pay range in Philadelphia, PA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.43 | $38,340 | |
| 25th percentile | $22.15 | $46,070 | |
| Median | $25.58 | $53,200 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $33.53 | $69,750 | |
| 90th percentile | $40.65 | $84,550 | |
| Average (mean) | $28.19 | $58,640 |
How Philadelphia, PA compares
The local median of $53,200 runs +13.8% above the US median of $46,730 for this occupation; it pays 2.8% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($51,760); within the metro it ranks 445th of 710 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA — this occupation | $53,200 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $46,730 | +13.8% |
| Philadelphia, PA — all occupations | $51,760 | +2.8% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $76,150 | -30.1% |
A location quotient of 0.74 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.6%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 445th of 710 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Philadelphia, PA
To put $53,200 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 445th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | $236,740 | 600 |
| Pediatricians, General | $220,310 | 1,190 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $215,060 | 100 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $202,290 | 110 |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $200,150 | 220 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $181,200 | 190 |
| Physicians, All Other | $179,220 | 8,290 |
| Dentists, General | $174,220 | 2,090 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $172,710 | 3,230 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $170,330 | 12,820 |
Where construction laborers earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $38,510 to $76,150. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $76,150 | 11,290 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $68,410 | 23,300 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $63,600 | 8,910 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $63,140 | 11,440 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $61,870 | 44,830 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $60,350 | 15,910 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $59,690 | 13,960 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $59,540 | 21,240 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $58,600 | 7,530 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $58,230 | 11,920 |
See the full national picture on the Construction Laborers salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for construction laborers in Philadelphia, PA?
The median annual wage is $53,200, or $26 per hour. That means half of the construction laborers working in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $58,640.
What do the highest and lowest paid construction laborers in Philadelphia, PA earn?
The bottom 10% earn $38,340 or less, while the top 10% earn $84,550 or more — a spread of $46,210 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $46,070 and $69,750.
Is construction laborers pay in Philadelphia, PA above the local average?
Yes, it is 2.8% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $51,760. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Philadelphia, PA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $53,200 the metro median is 13.8% higher than the US median of $46,730 for construction laborers. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $38,510 to $76,150.
How many construction laborers work in Philadelphia, PA?
BLS counts about 14,600 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 5.09 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. A location quotient of 0.74 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 3.6%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.