How much do construction laborers make in Texas in 2026?

Construction laborers in Texas earn a median wage of $40,620 per year, which works out to roughly $19.53 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of all construction laborers in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working in a lower-paying region, expect pay closer to the 25th percentile of $36,730 per year, or about $17.66 per hour. Workers with more experience, specialized skills, or jobs in higher-demand metro areas tend to land at or above the 75th percentile of $46,950 per year, which is approximately $22.57 per hour. All figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025.

The gap between the bottom quarter and the top quarter is meaningful. A laborer at the 75th percentile takes home about $10,220 more per year than one at the 25th percentile. Over a five-year stretch, that difference compounds to more than $51,000 in gross earnings. That kind of spread tells you there's real room to move up within this trade in Texas, and the numbers reward workers who put in the effort to get there.

Geography is one of the biggest factors pushing pay up or down within the state. Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio are the four largest construction markets in Texas and consistently post activity levels that keep demand for laborers high. Projects tied to infrastructure, commercial development, and industrial build-outs in these metros tend to offer higher wages than smaller markets or rural counties where job volume is thinner and competition for work is lower. If you're willing to drive or relocate to a hot metro, you're more likely to hit the upper end of these ranges.

The type of work matters just as much as location. General site laborers — the folks handling cleanup, moving materials, and flagging traffic — tend to sit closer to the $17–$19 range. Laborers who operate jackhammers, laser levels, or concrete vibrators, or who work hazardous sites requiring OSHA 30 certification or confined-space training, commonly earn at or above the $22–$23 range. Picking up certifications isn't just paperwork — it translates directly into wage leverage with contractors who need to put a qualified body on certain tasks.

Seasonality affects Texas construction laborers less than it does workers in northern states, but it's not zero. Summer heat can slow outdoor concrete and paving work during the hottest part of the day and reduce available hours, while hurricane-season disruptions along the Gulf Coast can interrupt project timelines in the Houston and Corpus Christi areas. Workers who can adapt their schedule, pick up indoor work, or shift to different project types tend to hold onto their hours better through slow periods.

There is no union scale currently listed for construction laborers in Texas on TradesPays. The state has a relatively open-shop construction environment, and the majority of laborers here work under contractor-set pay scales rather than collective bargaining agreements. That means your individual negotiating position — your certifications, your reliability record, your willingness to take on harder tasks — carries more weight in determining your actual pay than it might in a heavily unionized market.

For workers trying to move up, the path is straightforward: stack certifications, show up consistently, and be the person a foreman calls back. OSHA 10 and OSHA 30, first aid/CPR, and equipment-specific training are the most commonly requested credentials on Texas commercial job sites. A laborer who can run a plate compactor, read basic plans, and hold a traffic control certification is a different hire than one who can only carry materials, and the pay reflects that difference. The numbers above are a starting point — where you land depends on what you bring to the site.