3 ms·

Seems like $14.07. https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Construction_Laborer/Hourly_Rate/42fc8d3e/Entry-Level https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Cons

Seems like $14.07. https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Construction_Laborer/Hourly_Rate/42fc8d3e/Entry-Level https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Construction_Labore... Even "Construction Worker" doesn't bring it up much ($14.75), which means there's nothing in that career directly. https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Construction_Worker/Hourly_Rate https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Construction_Worker... The next step in that career is to be a manager or foreman. The Foreman only gets $22.36. ($38k/yr) https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Construction_Foreman/Hourly_Rate https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Construction_Forema... What does a college grad make? $50k/yr. http://time.com/money/collection-post/3829776/heres-what-the-average-grad-makes-right-out-of-college/ http://time.com/money/collection-post/3829776/heres-what-the... Carpenter, handyman and general contractor do better than construction. https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Industry=Home_Renovation/Hourly_Rate https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Industry=Home_Renovatio... So yeah, I'm not surprised that people aren't excited about a career in construction.

PantaloonFlames 8y ago
As with any field, specialized skills command higher pay. Plenty of opportunity to learn a proper skill, like drywall finishing, electrical work, plumbing, or carpentry/cabinetry, and command better than $15/hr in the USA.
bobthepanda 8y ago
Depends on the market you're in and what you can do. > A crane operator in New York City earns $82.15 an hour in base pay and benefits, according to the Engineer News-Record, a trade publication. That's well's above the $66 an hour he would earn in Chicago or the $39 an hour in Washington, D.C. > But the real reason New York crane operators and other operating engineers earn such big salaries is overtime and benefits. A relief crane operator working 56 hours of overtime per week for 52 weeks will earn $332,667 in overtime and $159,053 in overtime benefits at the World Trade Center. As a worker's salaries go up, so do the amounts employers must kick in for annuities and pensions. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303936704576399563008284024 https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303936704576399...
- relate 8y ago
  and whether you are willing to work 106 (40+56) hours a week...
- CydeWeys 8y ago
  Crane operators are unionized. That's why they get good pay and have overtime and benefits. https://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/local-14-a-thorn-in-developers-sides-may-finally-be-yielding-some-ground/ https://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/local-14-a-thorn-in-... It's really hard to break into though, because unlike entry level construction jobs that pay scraps, the demand is higher than the supply.
- conanbatt 8y ago
  Thats unions, but such thing also reduces the amount of housing and construction you can make.
  - null000 8y ago
    If it can't be built with labor compensated by living wages, it probably doesn't need to be built all that bad...
    - conanbatt 8y ago
      Say the homeless and the 30 year-olds living with their parents and the unemployed or workers earning less than unionized workers.
colek42 8y ago
You can make quite a bit more. It is pretty easy to start your business as a tradesman when you have experience, without employees you can easily net over 100k a year in low cost of living markets. Also, many construction workers get the benefit of side jobs and overtime. Definitely not an easy life, but there is something that can be said about the satisfaction you get after building something physical.
blanderman 8y ago
That website does not seem very comprehensive. The government makes thorough statistics on income available for free: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes470000.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes470000.htm
Ibethewalrus 8y ago
Overheard a construction manager talking about workers making over $120k in SF —-with overtime

PantaloonFlames 8y ago

As with any field, specialized skills command higher pay. Plenty of opportunity to learn a proper skill, like drywall finishing, electrical work, plumbing, or carpentry/cabinetry, and command better than $15/hr in the USA.

bobthepanda 8y ago

Depends on the market you're in and what you can do. > A crane operator in New York City earns $82.15 an hour in base pay and benefits, according to the Engineer News-Record, a trade publication. That's well's above the $66 an hour he would earn in Chicago or the $39 an hour in Washington, D.C. > But the real reason New York crane operators and other operating engineers earn such big salaries is overtime and benefits. A relief crane operator working 56 hours of overtime per week for 52 weeks will earn $332,667 in overtime and $159,053 in overtime benefits at the World Trade Center. As a worker's salaries go up, so do the amounts employers must kick in for annuities and pensions. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303936704576399563008284024 https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303936704576399...

relate 8y ago
and whether you are willing to work 106 (40+56) hours a week...
CydeWeys 8y ago
Crane operators are unionized. That's why they get good pay and have overtime and benefits. https://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/local-14-a-thorn-in-developers-sides-may-finally-be-yielding-some-ground/ https://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/local-14-a-thorn-in-... It's really hard to break into though, because unlike entry level construction jobs that pay scraps, the demand is higher than the supply.
conanbatt 8y ago
Thats unions, but such thing also reduces the amount of housing and construction you can make.
- null000 8y ago
  If it can't be built with labor compensated by living wages, it probably doesn't need to be built all that bad...
  - conanbatt 8y ago
    Say the homeless and the 30 year-olds living with their parents and the unemployed or workers earning less than unionized workers.

colek42 8y ago

You can make quite a bit more. It is pretty easy to start your business as a tradesman when you have experience, without employees you can easily net over 100k a year in low cost of living markets. Also, many construction workers get the benefit of side jobs and overtime. Definitely not an easy life, but there is something that can be said about the satisfaction you get after building something physical.

blanderman 8y ago

That website does not seem very comprehensive. The government makes thorough statistics on income available for free: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes470000.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes470000.htm

Ibethewalrus 8y ago

Overheard a construction manager talking about workers making over $120k in SF —-with overtime