Construction Laborers in the Rochester area earn a median of $49,290 a year, 5% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #139 of 391 metros for construction laborer pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Buffalo and Elmira, but less in Syracuse.
It's one of 13 New York metros with published pay for this trade; see construction laborers across New York.
Construction Laborer pay in Rochester at a glance
- Construction laborers in the Rochester, NY metro earn a median $49,290 a year ($23.70 an hour), #139 of 391 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $33,690 and $80,580.
- After local prices, that median buys what $50,796 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,131 a month, 28% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among construction laborers in Rochester.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for construction laborers here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, and about average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (3.7%) and the population is shrinking (-0.7% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 1,379 one-person site prep & specialty contracting businesses averaging $69,398 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $65/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Rochester scorecard for construction laborers Our calculation
Grades compare Rochester 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 Rochester area went from $44,600 in 2020 to $49,290 in 2025, up 10.5%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -11.9% — a real pay cut.
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 Rochester Our calculation
Prices in the Rochester area run 3% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $50,796 would in a typical place, ranking #181 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 Rochester 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 New York Official source
New York licenses most trades at the city or county level (e.g. New York City). Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
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 NY metros for construction laborers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New YorkNEW YORK · NY | $61,270 | $54,432 | 50,870 |
| Kiryas JoelNEW YORK · NY | $53,940 | $49,295 | 1,640 |
| AlbanyNEW YORK · NY | $52,940 | $53,171 | 2,700 |
| BinghamtonNEW YORK · NY | $50,740 | $54,640 | 650 |
| BuffaloNEW YORK · NY | $50,620 | $52,815 | 2,790 |
| UticaNEW YORK · NY | $49,710 | $53,637 | 550 |
| ElmiraNEW YORK · NY | $49,600 | $52,543 | 130 |
| KingstonNEW YORK · NY | $49,520 | $49,171 | 430 |
| RochesterNEW YORK · NY | $49,290 | $50,796 | 2,550 |
| SyracuseNEW YORK · NY | $49,180 | $51,367 | 1,660 |
See every metro in New York.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Rochester area's unemployment rate was 3.7% in 2025 (all workers, not just construction laborers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.9% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Rochester area is 21 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 7% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 74% drive alone, 1% take transit and 12% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Rochester area's population shrank 0.7% from 2020 to 2025 (1,063,676 → 1,056,149), ranking #326 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -3,326).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Rochester
The Rochester area has about 484,702 homes. 67% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 7% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 66% of households own their home, and the median home value is $234,100.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Rochester are roughly flat from 2021 to 2025 (1,774 → 1,750).
In 2025 the Rochester area approved permits for 1,750 new homes (1,251 single-family), or 1.7 per 1,000 residents, ranking #318 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 1,379 one-person businesses (no employees) in site prep & specialty contracting, averaging $69,398 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Rochester compares among the best cities to start a construction laborer business.
They compete with 279 site prep & specialty contracting companies that have employees (about 1,602 workers in total). 65% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Rochester Government data
In an average year, Rochester has 8 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 129 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 81 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 102 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 80°F and winter nights 21°F. That matters for construction laborers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Rochester Gtr International Airport, NY 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 $49,290 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 Rochester with another city →
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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 RochesterSee where it falls among local construction laborers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolRochester budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Rochester 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 Rochester against every other metro for construction laborers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.