Posted on: April 17, 2025

Construction Job Salaries: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding how much you can make in construction can be tricky because there are so many different jobs and pay rates. There are also external factors that can affect salaries even more.

This guide to construction job salaries explains what you can expect to earn in various roles, from hands-on jobs like architects and engineers to managers and directors. We'll also talk about what can change your salary, such as your education, experience, and where you live, and give you tips on how to reach your financial goals in the construction industry.

What Are the Highest Paying Construction Jobs?

The construction industry is home to a wide array of different job opportunities, from laborers and electricians to civil engineers and project managers. Construction workers, based on project type and industry role, earn an average of $40,000 annually, with skilled professionals earning significantly more.

Construction workers require specific skills like experience with power tools, design, math, and analytical abilities. Essential skills include strong verbal communication, blueprint interpretation, and adhering to safety codes and regulations. According to Zip Recruiter, here are the top-paying jobs in construction and their salaries per year:

Construction Executive - A construction executive leads a construction firm, overseeing projects, negotiating contracts, monitoring performance, and collaborating with stakeholders. They implement strategic initiatives to scale, meet client needs, and achieve business objectives. Salaries range between $163,500 to $197,000.
Chief Estimator - A chief estimator creates financial budgets and estimates for construction or design projects, considering factors like materials, labor, transportation, fees, tariffs, and profit margin, and may use software analysis for predictions. Salaries range between $129,000 to $171,000.
Pipeline Integrity Engineer - A pipeline integrity engineer ensures pipeline operations meet safety, quality, and legal standards. They perform inspections, create technical reports, and evaluate pipeline processes. Employers expect cost-effective inspections without affecting operations. Salaries range between $129,000 to $167,000
Architect - Architects design buildings, oversee projects from vision to construction, adhere to codes, and satisfy client expectations. They create plans, assist with construction, site selection, cost analysis, and budgeting. Salaries range between $91,000 to $166,000.
Public Works Director - Public works directors work with city governments, most often with city managers, but also with other high-ranking local officials. Their focus is on long-term community improvements, and do so through managing various city government departments. Public works directors present development plan proposals to city managers. Salaries range between $107,500 to $162,000.
Piping Engineer - Piping engineers oversee piping systems in various types of work sites. Piping engineers don’t only work on sewage systems in homes; they enable the transport of gas, oil, and water. Much of their work includes drafting blueprints and evaluating projects’ scope, cost, and other factors like environmental stress. Salaries range between $103,000 to $161,000.
Stress Engineer - Stress engineers are specialists in the strain that structures can safely manage. They spend lots of time conducting analyses and testing prototypes in a laboratory setting. Stress engineers work across industries, from aviation to nuclear power. Salaries range between $117,500 to $161,000.
Director of Construction - Directors of construction supervise projects from top to bottom, managing client interactions, job sites, and tasks. They must be strong in meeting goals, assessing manpower needs, budget management, and working with subcontractors. Salaries range between $106,500 to $161,000.
Structural Analysis Engineer - Structural analysis engineers ensure compliance with regulations and standards by monitoring equipment, products, and buildings. Their duties include stress tests, equipment evaluation, blueprint design, and structural soundness assessment, often working under construction time constraints. Salaries range between $114,000 to $158,500.
MRB Engineer - Material Review Board (MRB) engineers are specialists in the field of aerospace. Aerospace design and development can often present complex problems, and MRB engineers are responsible for resolving them as well as defects, and document the source of engineering issues. They also verify the structural integrity of materials and implement changes in installation. Salaries range between $83,500 to $155,000.

Do Construction Workers Receive Hourly Pay or Salary?

As a construction worker, your pay will be based on your experience level. When you first start out in construction with no previous experience, you will most likely be paid by the hour. Your hourly rate may increase depending on your effort. Experienced construction workers often transition from hourly pay to salaried roles after several months to a year with the same employer.

What Are the Factors That Can Affect Construction Salaries?

Salary is highly dependent on a few factors, but you can use those to maximize your earnings while choosing what you’re looking for in your work:

Big cities and quickly developing areas offer better salaries to meet the high demand of the area.
Construction workers with experience usually make more and can negotiate better terms than less experienced workers.
Companies especially look for educated and certified workers, and will pay them more because they know that these workers can accomplish more than others.
Certain specialties or areas in construction are in higher demand than others, like crane operation or welding. Having specialized training in these areas can give you greater opportunities for a higher salary.

How Do You Get Paid More at a Construction Job?

You may have found the exact type of job you’re looking for, but now you don’t know how to move up or bring in better wages. There are more things you can do:

Look for leadership roles and difficult projects: You can be better compensated by demonstrating your ability to manage as a team leader and by resolving complex tasks.
Make connections: If you network with others in the industry, you can often find new opportunities and open doors that would otherwise be closed.
Be a confident negotiator: Know the facts about the job you're seeking and strongly defend and back up your skills to justify higher wages.
Seek better training and education: Increase your value by adding appropriate certifications to your CV or resume, which not only looks great to employers but also adds to your marketability as a high-value worker.

Get the Training You Need Today

Knowing about salaries in various areas of construction is a great starting point to moving towards a great job with a great salary. When you are actively seeking a job, you should be very familiar with the job itself as well as the roles of the team that you’ll be working around. The more you know, the better your outlook.

If you are interested in getting educated in things that employers in construction are looking for, check out our catalog at OSHA.com. We offer comprehensive courses 100% online in states across the country, including courses in OSHA 10, OSHA 30, and NYC SST training for New York workers. Check out our website here and enroll today!