Jobs for Former Construction Laborers

Construction Laborers build coordination, operation and control and operations monitoring skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (90%).

Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers

Skills you enjoy

Pick the skills you want to keep using. The list re-ranks.

Sorted by skill match.

25 careers that use your skills

#	Career	Skill match	Median pay	Pay change	Extra education
1	Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining	90%	$57,430	+22%	None
2	Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters	86%	$47,550	+1%	None
3	Riggers	76%	$62,640	+33%	None
4	Helpers--Carpenters	75%	$43,780	−7%	None
5	Hoist and Winch Operators	75%	$56,450	+20%	None
6	Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners	74%	$49,880	+6%	None
7	Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	74%	$42,360	−10%	None
8	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing	73%	$43,380	−8%	None
9	Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons	73%	$61,290	+30%	None
10	Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas	73%	$60,190	+28%	None

1Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
90%
Median pay
$57,430
Pay change
+22%
Extra educationNone
2Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
86%
Median pay
$47,550
Pay change
+1%
Extra educationNone
3Riggers
76%
Median pay
$62,640
Pay change
+33%
Extra educationNone
4Helpers--Carpenters
75%
Median pay
$43,780
Pay change
−7%
Extra educationNone
5Hoist and Winch Operators
75%
Median pay
$56,450
Pay change
+20%
Extra educationNone
6Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners
74%
Median pay
$49,880
Pay change
+6%
Extra educationNone
7Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
74%
Median pay
$42,360
Pay change
−10%
Extra educationNone
8Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
73%
Median pay
$43,380
Pay change
−8%
Extra educationNone
9Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons
73%
Median pay
$61,290
Pay change
+30%
Extra educationNone
10Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
73%
Median pay
$60,190
Pay change
+28%
Extra educationNone

Compared with Construction Laborers, median $47,120. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.

Your transferable skills

How important each skill is in work as construction laborers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).

Coordination3.12

Operation and Control3.12

Operations Monitoring3.00

Complex Problem Solving2.75

Equipment Selection2.62

Social Perceptiveness2.62

Skills to learn

The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.

Quality Control Analysis
Troubleshooting
Judgment and Decision Making
Operation and Control

Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.

Your top 3 moves, up close

A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

90% skill match · $57,430 · +22% pay

First step

Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (71% of workers).
On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.

Skills to add

Operation and Control · Persuasion · Management of Personnel Resources

Is this right for you?

Work outdoors in all weather
Mistakes can have serious consequences
Tight deadlines are common

Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters

86% skill match · $47,550 · +1% pay

First step

Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (58% of workers).
On-the-job training: none or short demonstration.

Skills to add

Judgment and Decision Making · Time Management · Troubleshooting

Is this right for you?

Tight deadlines are common
Long hours on your feet
Work outdoors in all weather

Riggers

76% skill match · $62,640 · +33% pay

First step

Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (63% of workers).
On-the-job training: over 3 months, up to and including 6 months.

Skills to add

Quality Control Analysis · Troubleshooting · Judgment and Decision Making

Is this right for you?

Tight deadlines are common
Work outdoors in all weather
Long hours on your feet

Similar roles in the same field

If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.

Free help near you

Former construction laborers can get free career counseling, job search help and, if you qualify, help paying for training through American Job Centers, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Find an American Job Center Find training programs

Links go to CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Questions former construction laborers ask

What jobs can former construction laborers do?

The closest matches are Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (90% skill match, median $57,430), Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters (86% skill match, median $47,550) and Riggers (76% skill match, median $62,640), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.

Which construction laborer career changes pay more?

Among the 25 matches, 17 pay more than construction laborers at the median. The biggest increases: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (+102%, $95,320), Roof Bolters, Mining (+67%, $78,540) and Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (+49%, $70,070).

Do former construction laborers need another degree?

25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.

How is the skill match calculated?

We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.

Keep exploring

Sources. Skills, tasks and education: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Data Sources & Licenses