An official State of Ohio site. Here’s how you know
Live Chat
Contact

Welcome,
New User

User: New User

Date: 03/18/2026

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.

View All

    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • 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.
    • Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
    • Place, consolidate, or protect case-in-place concrete or masonry structures.
    • Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications.
    • 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.
    • Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures.
    • 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.
    • Mix, pour, or spread concrete, using portable cement mixers.
    • Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.
    • 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.
    • Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.
    • Place, consolidate, or protect case-in-place concrete or masonry structures.
    • Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.
    • Mix ingredients to create compounds for covering or cleaning surfaces.
    • 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.
    • Operate jackhammers or drills to break up concrete or pavement.
    • 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.
    • Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools.
    • Raze buildings or salvage useful materials.
    • 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.
    • Mix, pour, or spread concrete, using portable cement mixers.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Apply caulking compounds by hand or caulking guns to protect against entry of water or air.
    • Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes.
    • Mix, pour, or spread concrete, using portable cement mixers.

    Skills

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Complex Problem Solving

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

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Systems Analysis

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

    • Active Listening

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

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Coordination

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

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Critical Thinking

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

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Operations Monitoring

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

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

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

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Operations Analysis

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

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Equipment Selection

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

    • Monitoring

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

    • Learning Strategies

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

    • Systems Evaluation

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

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Troubleshooting

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

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    3
    Workplace Documents
    3
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Depth Perception

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

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Perceptual Speed

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

    • Control Precision

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

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • 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.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • 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.

    • Reaction Time

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

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Response Orientation

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

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Gross Body Coordination

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

    • Multilimb Coordination

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

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Glare Sensitivity

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

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Inductive Reasoning

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

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Auditory Attention

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

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Extent Flexibility

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

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

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

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    Knowledge

    • Transportation

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Computers and Electronics

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

    • 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.

    • Mathematics

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

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

    • 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.

    • History and Archeology

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

    • Mechanical

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

    • Biology

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Law and Government

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

    • Telecommunications

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Design

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    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.

    Budget Calculator

    Answer a few questions to determine your target salary. Use this target salary to help choose the right occupation for you.

    Lifestyle Calculator

    Answer a few questions to determine your target salary. Use this target salary to help choose the right occupation for you.

    Workforce Supply Tool

    Workforce Supply Tool

    The Workforce Supply Tool provides statistics for the occupations in highest demand throughout Ohio.

    You can view statewide statistics as well as more region specific information.

    Visit Site
    Powered By: