Construction Laborers in the Kenosha area earn a median of $50,040 a year, 7% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #121 of 391 metros for construction laborer pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Racine and Milwaukee, but less in Niles.
It's one of 13 Wisconsin metros with published pay for this trade; see construction laborers across Wisconsin.
Construction Laborer pay in Kenosha at a glance
- Construction laborers in the Kenosha, WI metro earn a median $50,040 a year ($24.06 an hour), #121 of 391 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $37,520 and $77,770.
- After local prices, that median buys what $49,487 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,144 a month, 27% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among construction laborers in Kenosha.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
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 (3.4%) and the population is shrinking (-0.4% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 233 one-person site prep & specialty contracting businesses averaging $83,845 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $66/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Kenosha scorecard for construction laborers Our calculation
Grades compare Kenosha 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).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Kenosha Our calculation
Prices in Kenosha run 1% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $49,487 would in a typical place, ranking #201 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 Kenosha 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 Wisconsin Official source
The main state licensing office in Wisconsin is the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. It can point you to the right license for construction laborers.
Official Wisconsin 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 WI metros for construction laborers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AppletonWISCONSIN · WI | $59,260 | $64,121 | 1,030 |
| La CrosseWISCONSIN · WI | $58,900 | $64,183 | 610 |
| Eau ClaireWISCONSIN · WI | $58,240 | $62,761 | 640 |
| MilwaukeeWISCONSIN · WI | $57,430 | $59,245 | 4,740 |
| MadisonWISCONSIN · WI | $57,000 | $58,590 | 2,370 |
| SheboyganWISCONSIN · WI | $56,440 | $60,034 | 310 |
| Fond du LacWISCONSIN · WI | $56,200 | $61,325 | 420 |
| JanesvilleWISCONSIN · WI | $55,690 | $59,432 | 480 |
| Green BayWISCONSIN · WI | $54,890 | $58,967 | 1,160 |
| RacineWISCONSIN · WI | $54,300 | $56,585 | 540 |
See every metro in Wisconsin.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Kenosha area's unemployment rate was 3.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just construction laborers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Kenosha area is 24 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 13% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 79% drive alone, 1% take transit and 10% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Kenosha area's population shrank 0.4% from 2020 to 2025 (169,186 → 168,448), ranking #316 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -811).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Kenosha
The Kenosha area has about 74,337 homes. 54% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 10% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 67% of households own their home, and the median home value is $286,800.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Kenosha are up 243% from 2024 to 2025 (260 → 892).
In 2025 the Kenosha area approved permits for 892 new homes (180 single-family), or 5.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #127 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 233 one-person businesses (no employees) in site prep & specialty contracting, averaging $83,845 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Kenosha compares among the best cities to start a construction laborer business.
They compete with 34 site prep & specialty contracting companies that have employees (about 175 workers in total). 71% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Kenosha Government data
In an average year, Kenosha has 11 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 135 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 65 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 81°F and winter nights 19°F. That matters for construction laborers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Kenosha Rgnl Airport, WI 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 $50,040 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 Kenosha 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 KenoshaSee where it falls among local construction laborers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolKenosha budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Kenosha 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 Kenosha against every other metro for construction laborers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.