What is the salary and career path for a scaffold builder?
Scaffold builders are not counted separately by BLS; the closest published code is Construction Laborers, SOC 47-2061, which makes the figure approximate because the code also covers general labour, demolition and flagging. That code shows 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, and dedicated scaffold erectors in industrial and refinery work commonly sit in the upper half of that range. There is no state scaffold-erector licence anywhere in the United States; the governing rules are OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L, which requires scaffolds to be erected, moved and dismantled under the supervision of a competent person and designed by a qualified person, together with 1926 Subpart M fall protection above ten feet. Entry is typically through a labourer or scaffold-contractor helper job or a registered labourers' apprenticeship, and BLS projects 7.3% growth for the code over 2024–2034 with roughly 129,400 openings a year.
- Scaffold Builders earn a national median $47,120/yr ($22.66/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2061); the top 10% clear $78,090.
- There is no scaffold-erector licence in any state; OSHA 1926 Subpart L's competent-person and qualified-person rules govern the work instead.
- BLS projects 7.3% change for construction laborers 2024–34 with about 129,400 openings a year, mostly from turnover.
- The ladder runs helper to erector to competent-person foreman to scaffold superintendent or estimator, with industrial turnaround work paying best.
Career Path
How do you become a scaffold builder?
Scaffold helper / labourer
Carrying and stacking frames, passing material up the tower and learning component names; pay starts near the SOC 47-2061 10th percentile of $35,090.
Scaffold Builder
Erecting, tying and dismantling system and tube-and-clamp scaffold to a plan, around the $47,120 median for the code.
Scaffold foreman / competent person
Supervising erection, tagging scaffolds and doing the pre-shift inspections OSHA Subpart L requires, toward the 75th percentile of $59,740.
Scaffold superintendent / estimator
Planning turnaround access, pricing scaffold packages and running multi-crew work reaches the 90th percentile at $78,090.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays scaffold builders the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2061. National median: $47,120. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does scaffold builder pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles scaffold builders most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: scaffold builders 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 scaffold builders 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 (scaffold builders) 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 scaffold builders need?
Not a government licence but the legal linchpin of the trade: employers must designate a competent person to supervise erection and inspect scaffolds before each shift. See all state licences →
Issued through the OSHA Outreach Training Program; required for site access on most commercial and industrial projects and by statute in several states.
Erector and inspector courses run by the Scaffold and Access Industry Association and by manufacturers of proprietary system scaffold are the recognised industry training.
LIUNA training centres run scaffold-erection modules inside a registered construction craft laborer apprenticeship, which is the structured route into the trade.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do scaffold builders use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 47-2061
Salary Levers
How do scaffold builders earn above the $47,120 BLS median?
Industrial and refinery scaffold over general construction
Turnaround work with plant access requirements pays far above the $35,090 tenth-percentile general-labour floor
Competent-person designation and foreman duty
Taking on inspection, tagging and crew supervision moves pay toward the $59,740 seventy-fifth percentile
Union labourers' scale and shutdown overtime
LIUNA scale plus turnaround overtime and per-diem is a large part of what pushes annual earnings up in this code
Estimating and scaffold superintendence
Pricing access packages and running multi-crew turnarounds is what reaches the $78,090 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a scaffold builder 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
Scaffold Builder Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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