What is the salary and career path for a concrete laborer?
Concrete laborers are not separately published by BLS and fall inside Construction Laborers, SOC 47-2061, which makes the figure approximate because the code also covers demolition, flagging, site labour and general helper work. That code reports an OEWS May 2025 median of $47,120 a year ($22.66 an hour), from $35,090 at the 10th percentile to $78,090 at the 90th. Entry requires no formal credential — most laborers are hired directly and trained on the job, though the structured route is a two- to three-year registered construction craft laborer apprenticeship through a LIUNA training centre. There is no licence for concrete work; the applicable rules are OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart Q for concrete and masonry construction, which covers formwork design, shoring, rebar impalement protection and limits on entering areas under freshly placed concrete, plus the silica standard at 1926.1153 for cutting and grinding. BLS projects 7.3% growth over 2024–2034 with roughly 129,400 openings a year across the code.
- Concrete Laborers earn a national median $47,120/yr ($22.66/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2061); the top 10% clear $78,090.
- The figure is approximate — BLS folds concrete labour into the broad construction-laborer code alongside demolition, flagging and general site work.
- No licence exists; OSHA 1926 Subpart Q formwork, shoring and impalement rules plus the silica standard govern the work, and ACI Grade I is the key credential.
- BLS projects 7.3% change 2024–34 with about 129,400 openings a year; pay rises by moving into finishing, form carpentry or foremanship.
Career Path
How do you become a concrete laborer?
General laborer
Stripping forms, moving material, tying rebar and cleaning up, learning the sequence of a pour; pay starts near the SOC 47-2061 10th percentile of $35,090.
Concrete Laborer
Setting and bracing forms, placing and consolidating concrete and running screeds, around the $47,120 median for the code.
Form carpenter / lead laborer
Building and laying out formwork, running a placement crew and reading structural drawings pays toward the 75th percentile of $59,740.
Concrete foreman or superintendent
Supervising pours, scheduling trucks and pumps and managing quality reaches the 90th percentile at $78,090.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays concrete laborers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2061. National median: $47,120. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does concrete laborer pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles concrete laborers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: concrete laborers rank 4 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +7.3% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly concrete laborers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2061 (concrete laborers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do concrete laborers need?
The American Concrete Institute's field-testing certification is required on most publicly funded concrete work and is the most portable credential a concrete labourer can hold. See all state licences →
A two- to three-year DOL-registered LIUNA apprenticeship covering concrete placement, formwork and site safety, producing a recognised journeyworker standing.
Standard site-access requirement, with the 30-hour common for crew leads; several states mandate the 10-hour on public projects.
OSHA 1926.1153 requires engineering controls and training for cutting, grinding and drilling concrete, which is routine work on a concrete crew.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do concrete laborers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 47-2061
Salary Levers
How do concrete laborers earn above the $47,120 BLS median?
Structural and infrastructure concrete over residential flatwork
Bridge, tilt-up and structural work pays well above the $35,090 tenth-percentile general-labour floor
Union LIUNA scale and prevailing-wage work
Davis-Bacon public projects and union agreements carry rates and benefits open-shop residential work does not
ACI certification and form-carpentry skill
Field-testing certification and formwork layout push earnings toward the $59,740 seventy-fifth percentile
Foreman and superintendent roles
Running pours, scheduling trucks and pumps and owning quality outcomes is what reaches the $78,090 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a concrete laborer worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2061. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Concrete Laborer Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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