How much do construction laborers make in New Jersey in 2026?

Construction laborers in New Jersey earn a median of $64,060 per year, which works out to roughly $30.80 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits well above the national median for this trade, reflecting New Jersey's high cost of living, dense construction activity, and strong demand driven by infrastructure projects, residential development, and commercial builds throughout the state.

The spread between entry-level and experienced workers is wide. At the 25th percentile — think someone new to the trade or working smaller, non-union residential sites — annual pay comes in at $46,710, or about $22.46 an hour. At the 75th percentile, laborers earn $94,510 per year, roughly $45.44 an hour. That upper tier typically includes workers with years of field experience, specialized skills like hazmat or demolition certifications, or those on large commercial and infrastructure projects where labor demands are intense and schedules are tight.

Geography inside New Jersey makes a real difference. Laborers working in the New York metro fringe — Essex, Hudson, Bergen, and Union counties — tend to land at or above the median, pulled up by spillover demand from one of the largest construction markets in the country. South Jersey around Camden and Atlantic County, or rural areas farther from the urban core, often run closer to the 25th percentile, especially for residential and smaller commercial work.

The type of work matters just as much as location. Laborers on highway and heavy civil projects — bridge work, utility installation, roadway grading — typically earn more per hour than those doing site cleanup or basic material handling on residential builds. Specialty tasks like concrete form work, blasting support, or working around hazardous materials often come with pay premiums that can push an experienced laborer into the upper quartile even without supervisory responsibilities.

Overtime is a real factor in this trade. Construction schedules are project-driven, and laborers on commercial or DOT jobs regularly log 50- to 60-hour weeks during peak season — spring through fall. At the median hourly rate of $30.80, a worker putting in 10 hours of overtime weekly for six months adds roughly $14,700 to their annual gross before taxes. That's why some laborers' actual take-home consistently beats the BLS figures, which are based on standard hours.

Seasonality also affects annual totals. New Jersey winters slow exterior work significantly, and laborers without year-round employment — common in residential framing and site work — may lose four to eight weeks of income between December and February. Workers who secure spots on indoor commercial jobs or infrastructure projects with covered scopes tend to keep their annual totals closer to or above the median.

Some workers in this trade may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

Advancing your pay as a construction laborer in New Jersey comes down to a few concrete moves. Earning OSHA 30 certification, a forklift or equipment operator license, or a flagging certification each adds a layer of value that contractors will pay for. Moving into a lead laborer or labor foreman role — supervising a small crew on site — is one of the most direct routes to breaking into the upper quartile. Some laborers also cross-train into operating engineer or ironworker roles over time, which carry their own higher wage scales.

These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, published May 2025. BLS collects data from employer payroll records across the state and represents base wages — it does not capture overtime premiums, per diem, tool allowances, or employer-paid benefits like health insurance and retirement contributions, all of which are part of the real compensation picture for many laborers in New Jersey.