Construction Laborers in the Mayaguez area earn a median of $23,820 a year, 49% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #390 of 391 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Aguadilla and Arecibo, but less in Ponce.
It's one of 6 Puerto Rico metros with published pay for this trade; see construction laborers across Puerto Rico.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for construction laborers here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros.
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Mayaguez scorecard for construction laborers Our calculation
Grades compare Mayaguez with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers.
Pay over time
The median pay for construction laborers in the Mayaguez area went from $18,090 in 2020 to $23,820 in 2025, up 31.7%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +5.0% — 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
Rent in Mayaguez
Typical rent is $496 a month for a 1-bedroom and $590 for a 2-bedroom.
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 Puerto Rico Official source
Check with local authorities in Puerto Rico. 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 PR metros for construction laborers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GuayamaPUERTO RICO · PR | $27,470 | — | 90 |
| AreciboPUERTO RICO · PR | $26,530 | — | 350 |
| San JuanPUERTO RICO · PR | $24,270 | — | 7,060 |
| AguadillaPUERTO RICO · PR | $24,250 | — | 620 |
| MayaguezPUERTO RICO · PR | $23,820 | — | 500 |
| PoncePUERTO RICO · PR | $23,510 | — | 660 |
See every metro in Puerto Rico.
How much work is there? Government data
Getting to work
The average commute in the Mayaguez area is 25 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 9% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. nan% drive alone, nan% take transit and nan% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Homes in Mayaguez
The Mayaguez area has about 117,079 homes. 55% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 4% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 62% of households own their home, and the median home value is $133,000.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
In 2025 the Mayaguez area approved permits for 343 new homes (329 single-family), or 1.6 per 1,000 residents, ranking #325 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $23,820 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. 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 Mayaguez with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.
BEA doesn't publish price levels for Mayaguez, so real pay isn't shown. The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for construction laborers as a separate industry, so that section is left out.