Headline risk
1%
Very Low RiskConstruction laborers
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris, and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 8% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 46,730
Employment 2024
1457.0K
Projected Change (2024–34)
7.3%
Openings (2024–34)
129.4K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of construction laborers and helpers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt. AI use: 0%
- 2. Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools. AI use: 0%
- 3. Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities. AI use: 95%
- 4. Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards. AI use: 0%
- 5. Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials. AI use: 0%
- 6. Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 40.0 · 2.4M employed
Under 25: 15% · 25–54: 67% · 55+: 18%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
title_match · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Construction laborers and helpers perform tasks, such as using, supplying, or holding materials or tools and cleaning work areas and equipment, on construction sites.
Most construction laborers and helpers work full time, and schedules may vary. Their jobs are often physically demanding and may require being outdoors in all weather conditions.
Construction laborers and helpers learn on the job. Although formal education is not typically required, some employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a high school diploma or the equivalent.
The median annual wage for construction laborers and helpers was $46,050 in May 2024.
Overall employment of construction laborers and helpers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.