Construction Laborers in the Iowa City area earn a median of $47,940 a year, 2% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #172 of 391 metros for construction laborer pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Cedar Rapids and Davenport.
It's one of 8 Iowa metros with published pay for this trade; see construction laborers across Iowa.
Construction Laborer pay in Iowa City at a glance
- Construction laborers in the Iowa City, IA metro earn a median $47,940 a year ($23.05 an hour), #172 of 391 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $37,500 and $74,570.
- After local prices, that median buys what $52,388 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $972 a month, 24% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among construction laborers in Iowa City.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for construction laborers here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (2.7%) and the population is growing faster than most (+4.0% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 249 one-person site prep & specialty contracting businesses averaging $69,237 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $64/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Iowa City scorecard for construction laborers Our calculation
Grades compare Iowa City with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($46,850).
Pay over time
The median pay for construction laborers in the Iowa City area went from $37,730 in 2020 to $47,940 in 2025, up 27.1%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +1.3% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Iowa City Our calculation
Prices in the Iowa City area run 8% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $52,388 would in a typical place, ranking #140 of 385 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a monthly budget for Iowa City from this pay, local rent and prices.
What construction laborers do
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.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- 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.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, construction laborer jobs are projected to grow 7.3% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 120,000 openings a year. About 27% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often construction laborers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Iowa Official source
The main state licensing office in Iowa is the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. It can point you to the right license for construction laborers.
Official Iowa licensing site ↗
Requirements for construction laborers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, construction laborers have 218 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 2.5× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying IA metros for construction laborers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| DavenportIOWA · IA | $54,380 | $61,047 | 1,320 |
| Des MoinesIOWA · IA | $49,980 | $54,503 | 3,510 |
| WaterlooIOWA · IA | $49,950 | $57,376 | 710 |
| AmesIOWA · IA | $49,810 | $56,073 | 600 |
| DubuqueIOWA · IA | $48,800 | $55,881 | 500 |
| Cedar RapidsIOWA · IA | $48,670 | $54,708 | 990 |
| Sioux CityIOWA · IA | $48,630 | $56,250 | 560 |
| Iowa CityIOWA · IA | $47,940 | $52,388 | 800 |
See every metro in Iowa.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Iowa City area's unemployment rate was 2.7% in 2025 (all workers, not just construction laborers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.4% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Iowa City area is 18 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 6% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 67% drive alone, 4% take transit and 12% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Iowa City area's population grew 4.0% from 2020 to 2025 (175,607 → 182,711), ranking #125 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +3,102) account for part of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Iowa City
The Iowa City area has about 80,274 homes. 35% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 21% were built in 2010 or later. 63% of households own their home, and the median home value is $315,200.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Iowa City are up 8% from 2021 to 2025 (1,167 → 1,266).
In 2025 the Iowa City area approved permits for 1,266 new homes (526 single-family), or 7.1 per 1,000 residents, ranking #78 of 393 metros, among the busiest building markets in the country.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 249 one-person businesses (no employees) in site prep & specialty contracting, averaging $69,237 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Iowa City compares among the best cities to start a construction laborer business.
They compete with 41 site prep & specialty contracting companies that have employees (about 221 workers in total). 66% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Iowa City Government data
In an average year, Iowa City has 19 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 135 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 63 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 84°F and winter nights 18°F. That matters for construction laborers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Iowa City Muni Airport, IA station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $47,940 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get construction laborer pricing & estimate templates →Compare Iowa City with another city →
Keep exploring
Could this trade pay more somewhere else?
ToolBest cities for construction laborersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in Iowa CitySee where it falls among local construction laborers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolIowa City budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Iowa City metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Iowa City against every other metro for construction laborers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.