Construction is a consistent demand, and if you’re someone who’s made a career of it, maybe from this list of the 25 best states for construction workers you’ll find a new home.
When you search for the highest paying and most stable industries in America, construction is never left off the list. It’s also part of some of the most in-demand jobs in the world. The demand doesn’t appear to be diminishing anytime soon because the US is a continuously developing country. There are always new buildings to be created, renovations to be done, and establishments popping up. Because the population keeps growing, there’s a natural growing demand for new houses, condominium towers, and even shopping malls and restaurants. It’s an endless cycle of demand, which is great for anyone who’s in this field.
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Construction work isn’t easy. Workers are usually exposed to sunlight and they have to be used to manual labor and a physically demanding environment. You need good stamina and endurance. Also, you have to be skilled in handling tools like mechanical hoists, cement mixers, earth tampers, among others. Construction work is broad and diverse, and one must be prepared for the intense physical and mental demands of the job.
At the moment, there are 887,580 construction workers employed in America. The average hourly rate is $17.57, which comes out to about $36,550 annually. It seems natural that the state that pays construction workers the most will also rank highest on this list. However, while it impacts the criteria, it’s not the only point to take into consideration. In a practical sense, even if you earn higher than the average, if you have to spend most of your wages on living expenses, the amount becomes pointless. For a state to top the list, it should hit the perfect balance between the pay and the cost of living index. We’ll also be looking for states with the best employment rates.
Naturally, cities with the most ongoing construction projects will have more demand, but that’s not all we need to know for this list. We found each state’s cost of living, sourced from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center; the annual median rate for construction; and the employment rates, both sourced from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Let’s say you’re just in this for the money — take a look at our list of the 6 Easiest Jobs in Construction that Pay Well. For this list, though, we ranked each state according to cost of living, wages, and employment rates. Their rankings were averaged to come up with our results.
Without further ado, let’s pack our bags and take a look at the 25 best states for construction workers.
