CAREER OVERVIEW   

Craft laborers perform tasks involving physical labor at building, highway, and heavy construction projects, tunnel and shaft excavations, and demolition sites. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, clean up rubble and debris, and remove asbestos, lead, and other hazardous waste materials. May assist other craft workers.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

Craft laborers need manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, good physical fitness, a good sense of balance, and an ability to work as a member of a team. Primary skills used in this occupation include: clean tools and equipment; dig holes or trenches for foundations, posts, poles; grade or tamp earth for roads or other construction; load, unload, or stack containers, materials, or equipment; measure and mark lay out for construction projects; prepare building surfaces for paint, finishes, wallpaper, or adhesives; prepare site or surfaces for concrete or masonry work ; use hand or power tools; read work order instructions; adhere to safety procedures; assist  trades workers. 

AVERAGE SALARY

• $39,110 (annually)
• $18.80 (hourly)

SALARY RANGES 

• $32,690 – $51,620 (annually)
• $15.72 – $24.82 (hourly)

*SOURCE: Occupational Employment Statistics Program, US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for Colorado, from May 2020. https://www.bls.gov/oes/

 * Low range wage rates based on the 25^th percentile wage level. High range wage rates based on the 90^th percentile wage level.

VIDEO SOURCE: Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration on careeronestop.org