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Date: 02/11/2026

Construction Laborers

Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris, and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures.
    • Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
    • Place, consolidate, or protect case-in-place concrete or masonry structures.
    • Mix, pour, or spread concrete, using portable cement mixers.
    • Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications.
    • Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications.
    • Tend machines that pump concrete, grout, cement, sand, plaster, or stucco through spray guns for application to ceilings or walls.
    • Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards.
    • Perform site activities required of green certified construction practices, such as implementing waste management procedures, identifying materials for reuse, or installing erosion or sedimentation control mechanisms.
    • Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes.
    • Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures.
    • Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.
    • Mop, brush, or spread paints, cleaning solutions, or other compounds over surfaces to clean them or to provide protection.
    • Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.
    • Place, consolidate, or protect case-in-place concrete or masonry structures.
    • Mix ingredients to create compounds for covering or cleaning surfaces.
    • Operate jackhammers or drills to break up concrete or pavement.
    • Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.
    • Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.
    • Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
    • Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.
    • Grind, scrape, sand, or polish surfaces, such as concrete, marble, terrazzo, or wood flooring, using abrasive tools or machines.
    • Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.
    • Mop, brush, or spread paints, cleaning solutions, or other compounds over surfaces to clean them or to provide protection.
    • Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment.
    • Spray materials, such as water, sand, steam, vinyl, paint, or stucco, through hoses to clean, coat, or seal surfaces.
    • Mix, pour, or spread concrete, using portable cement mixers.
    • Mix, pour, or spread concrete, using portable cement mixers.
    • Apply caulking compounds by hand or caulking guns to protect against entry of water or air.
    • Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones.
    • Spray materials, such as water, sand, steam, vinyl, paint, or stucco, through hoses to clean, coat, or seal surfaces.
    • Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.
    • Provide assistance to craft workers, such as carpenters, plasterers, or masons.
    • Position or dismantle forms for pouring concrete, using saws, hammers, nails, or bolts.
    • Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes.
    • Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools.
    • Raze buildings or salvage useful materials.
    • Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments.
    • Spray materials, such as water, sand, steam, vinyl, paint, or stucco, through hoses to clean, coat, or seal surfaces.

    Skills

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    3
    Workplace Documents
    3
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    Knowledge

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 49640/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 23.86/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 46,780
    • Yearly Projected Openings 4100

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Perseverance

    Tools

    • Adjustable forks
    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Air compressors
    • Air samplers or collectors
    • Asphalt finishers
    • Axes
    • Bandsaw wheel
    • Belt conveyors
    • Bituminous material distributors
    • Blades or tooth or other cutting edges
    • Blow torch
    • Boring or sinking machinery
    • Burners
    • Calipers
    • Caulking guns
    • Cement pumping units
    • Chip Spreaders
    • Cold chisels
    • Combination pliers
    • Compactors
    • Concrete mixers or plants
    • Concrete spreaders
    • Coring equipment
    • Demolition equipment kits
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Drain or pipe cleaning equipment
    • Drilling machines
    • Dump trucks
    • Explosive initiators
    • Floats
    • Forklifts
    • Gas detectors
    • Gas generators
    • Gin pole and accessories
    • Graders
    • Grinders
    • Hammer drills
    • Hammers
    • Hand sprayers
    • Hand trucks or accessories
    • Hazardous material protective apparel
    • Hoes
    • Hoists
    • Hole saws
    • Hydraulic rock drills
    • Hydraulic truck cranes
    • Impact hammers
    • Impact wrenches
    • Instrument tripods
    • Kettle exchangers
    • Ladders
    • Laser measuring systems
    • Leak testing equipment
    • Level sensors or transmitters
    • Levels
    • Lifting hooks
    • Light trucks or sport utility vehicles
    • Manlift or personnel lift
    • Measuring rods
    • Measuring wheels for distance
    • Micrometers
    • Mowers
    • Mud pumps
    • Paint sprayers
    • Paving breakers
    • Picks
    • Pipe or tube cutter
    • Plasma arc welding machine
    • Plaster or mortar mixers
    • Plumb bobs
    • Pneumatic drill
    • Pneumatic hammer
    • Pneumatic sanding machines
    • Post hole digger
    • Power buggies
    • Power chippers
    • Power drills
    • Power grinders
    • Power nail guns
    • Power sanders
    • Power saws
    • Power screwguns
    • Pressure or steam cleaners
    • Pry bars
    • Pullers
    • Punches or nail sets or drifts
    • Rakes
    • Remote reading thermometers
    • Respirators
    • Rollers
    • Rotary tiller mixers
    • Safety harnesses or belts
    • Saws
    • Scaffolding
    • Scarifiers
    • Scissor lift or lift table
    • Screwdrivers
    • Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
    • Shoring equipment
    • Shotcrete spraying equipment
    • Shovels
    • Skid steer loaders
    • Slings
    • Sludge or sewage handling trucks
    • Snowplow attachments
    • Space heaters
    • Spades
    • Sprayers
    • Squares
    • Staple guns
    • Stonemason hammer
    • Tampers
    • Tape measures
    • Theodolites
    • Threading taps
    • Tongs
    • Track loaders
    • Trenching machines
    • Trowels
    • Two way radios
    • Vacuum cleaners
    • Vibratory plates
    • Water samplers
    • Water trucks
    • Welding masks
    • Wheel loaders
    • Winches
    • Wire and cable pulling device

    Technology

    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.

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