Construction laborer job description template

What a construction laborer does

Construction laborers do the physical work that keeps a job site moving: site prep, material handling, demolition, concrete, and cleanup. It's often the entry point into the trades. A good posting describes the type of construction, the tools and equipment involved, and the safety training you provide. If there's a path to an apprenticeship or skilled trade, say so. It's the biggest reason motivated people take these jobs.

Construction laborer job description template

Copy the description, replace everything in [brackets], and cut any line that isn't true for your job. The duties and requirements are a starting point written by HR practitioners, not a legal standard, so edit them to match the real work.

Construction laborer

Details
- Department: [Department]
- Reports to: [Manager title]
- Location: [City, State, or remote]
- Employment type: [Full-time, part-time, or seasonal]
- FLSA status: Nonexempt
- Pay range: [$X to $Y per hour]

About [Company]
[Two or three sentences about what your company does, who it serves, and why people like working here.]

Job summary
We're hiring a construction laborer to support our crews on [residential, commercial, or civil] projects with safe, hard-working site support.

What you'll do
- Prepare and clean job sites, including removing debris.
- Load, unload, and move materials and tools.
- Dig, backfill, and compact soil.
- Mix, pour, and spread concrete and other materials.
- Assist skilled trades with installation tasks.
- Operate hand and power tools, and light equipment if trained.
- Set up and take down scaffolding and barricades.
- Follow site safety rules and wear required protective equipment.

What you'll need
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and do physical work outdoors all day.
- Reliable transportation to job sites.
- Ability to follow instructions and safety rules.
- At least 18 years old for most site work.

Nice to have
- OSHA 10 card.
- Previous construction experience.
- Flagger certification or equipment experience.

Skills
Physical stamina, Tool use, Safety awareness, Teamwork, Reliability, Willingness to learn.

Physical demands and work environment
Outdoor construction sites in all weather. Requires heavy lifting, bending, climbing, and exposure to noise, dust, and heights.

Pay and benefits
[$X to $Y per hour], based on experience and location. [List benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plan match, paid time off, and training.]

Equal opportunity
[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview, contact [name] at [email or phone].

How to customize it for your job

• Name the type of construction.
• State pay and whether prevailing wage applies.
• List safety training you provide.
• Describe any path to an apprenticeship.

Then check it against the HRTally job description standard, our 10-point checklist, and run it through the inclusive language swap list. Both take about five minutes.

How much to pay a construction laborer

Half of US construction laborers earned more than $22.66 an hour in May 2025, and half earned less, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That national figure is a starting point, not a pay range. Pay for the same job can differ by 30 percent or more between metro areas, so check the BLS occupation profile for state and metro data before you set your range.

For hourly roles, the legal floor matters as much as the market rate. Check the current rate where the job is based in our minimum wage by state table, and the state's overtime and break rules in our state labor law library.

To convert between hourly and annual pay, use our salary to hourly calculator. If you hire in a state or city with a pay transparency law, the range must appear in the posting itself. Our pay transparency laws guide lists where, and our guide to salary bands explains how to set ranges you can defend.

Exempt status, licenses, and legal notes

FLSA status: Nonexempt (overtime eligible). Job titles don't decide overtime eligibility. Duties and pay do. Our guide to exempt vs non-exempt employees walks through each test, and the overtime calculator shows what a nonexempt employee is owed.

OSHA's construction standards (29 CFR 1926) cover fall protection, excavation, scaffolding, and silica exposure. Several states, including New York, Nevada, and Connecticut, require OSHA 10 cards on certain jobs, and New York City requires Site Safety Training for most construction workers. Laborers on federally funded projects are covered by Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rules, and outdoor workers in states such as California, Washington, and Oregon are covered by heat illness prevention rules.

This is general information for US employers, not legal advice. Laws change and vary by state and city, so confirm the current rules or talk to employment counsel before you rely on them.

Interview questions to ask

Ask every candidate the same core questions and score answers against the same criteria. Structured interviews are fairer and predict job performance better than open conversation.

1. What construction work have you done before?
2. How do you stay safe on a busy site?
3. Tell me about a time you learned a new skill on the job.
4. Are you comfortable working outdoors in all weather?

When you're ready to schedule, use our interview invitation email template. For a full hiring process, read the recruitment process guide.

Frequently asked questions