Construction Worker job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

8

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$47,120

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Construction Laborers (O*NET-SOC 47-2061.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt. importance 4.3 of 5
2. Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools. importance 4.2 of 5
3. Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials. importance 4.2 of 5
4. Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities. importance 3.9 of 5
5. Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed. importance 3.9 of 5
6. Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards. importance 3.9 of 5
7. Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes. importance 3.9 of 5
8. Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications. importance 3.8 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Controlling Machines and Processes and Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes.
• Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones.
• Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment.
• Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments.
• Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools.
• Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures.

Knowledge areas: Building and Construction, Public Safety and Security and Mechanical.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Autodesk Revit, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a construction worker.

The most common answer among construction workers surveyed by O*NET is a high school diploma or equivalent (35%).

Job title: Construction Worker
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Construction Worker to perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.
- Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
- Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.
- Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.
- Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.
- Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards.
- Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.
- Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in speaking, coordination and operation and control
- Working knowledge of Building and Construction and Public Safety and Security
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Autodesk Revit or Microsoft Excel]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $47,120 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $22.66. BLS estimates about 1,096,780 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of construction workers to grow 7.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 120,000 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full construction worker salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real construction worker posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only construction worker work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (speaking and coordination); construction worker interview questions turns them into practice questions.