Construction Laborers salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Construction Laborers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 District of Columbia tax rules.
The figures
The median Construction Laborers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earns $47,430 a year ($22.80 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Construction Laborers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn between $41,740 and $56,260 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $37,030 or less and the top 10 percent earn $62,800 or more. BLS estimates 17,710 Construction Laborers jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area — 5.648 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.8 (below the national concentration). That is 1.6% of all Construction Laborers employment in the United States (1,096,780 jobs nationally). By employment, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is the #8 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Construction Laborers. In aggregate, Construction Laborers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn about $0.88 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $40,209.64 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Construction Laborers is about $0.71 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 4.1% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #15 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Construction Laborers. By employment, Construction Laborers is the #28 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Placed against the national distribution for Construction Laborers, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $47,430 falls between the national median ($47,120) and the national 75th percentile ($59,740). Across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is $71,060 a year — Construction Laborers pay is 33.3% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $23.88 | $49,670 |
| 10th percentile | $17.80 | $37,030 |
| 25th percentile | $20.07 | $41,740 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $22.80 | $47,430 |
| 75th percentile | $27.05 | $56,260 |
| 90th percentile | $30.19 | $62,800 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Construction Laborers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn 1.7 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($62,800 against $37,030). The middle half spans $14,520 — from $41,740 to $56,260. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($30.19) is 1.70 times the 10th ($17.80). In the upper half of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $56,260 takes home $45,102.62 and the 90th percentile wage of $62,800 takes home $49,932.86 — $4,830.24 more net for $6,540 more gross. Against the median take-home of $38,544.24, the top decile keeps 1.30 times as much. The mean wage of $49,670 sits 4.7% above the median: higher-paid Construction Laborers pull the average up in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Among the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, Construction Laborers ranks #17 by median pay. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage ladder of covered occupations, Construction Laborers sits between First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers at $47,580 and Security Guards at $46,830. Construction Laborers accounts for 0.6% of all employment in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. The average covered metro employs 17,175 Construction Laborers; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV employs 1.0 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in District of Columbia
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in District of Columbia; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $47,430.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $3,511.60 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,940.66 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $687.74 |
| District of Columbia income tax | $1,745.80 |
| Total deductions | $8,885.76 |
| Net pay (annual) | $38,544.24 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,482.47 |
| Total deduction rate | 18.73% of gross |
At the median, $38,544.24 of the $47,430 gross is kept ($1,482.47 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 18.73%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 16.79% at the 10th percentile, 17.79% at the 25th percentile, 19.83% at the 75th percentile, 20.49% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $10,789.00 on a gross rise of $14,520.
The same engine at the other published points of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($37,030) | $30,811.84 | $1,185.07 | 16.79% |
| 25th percentile ($41,740) | $34,313.62 | $1,319.75 | 17.79% |
| Median ($47,430) | $38,544.24 | $1,482.47 | 18.73% |
| 75th percentile ($56,260) | $45,102.62 | $1,734.72 | 19.83% |
| 90th percentile ($62,800) | $49,932.86 | $1,920.49 | 20.49% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $30,811.84 a year at the 10th percentile to $49,932.86 at the 90th — a spread of $19,121.02 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median wage of $71,060 takes home $55,576.74 a year ($2,137.57 per paycheck, deduction rate 21.79%). The Construction Laborers median take-home of $38,544.24 sits $17,032.50 (below that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV also covers parts of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia. The take-home estimate above uses District of Columbia rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia paycheck calculators.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Construction Laborers earns $47,120 a year ($22.66 an hour). The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $47,430 is $310 (0.7%) above the national median.
The means rank the area differently: $49,670 a year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV against $52,030 nationally, a gap of $2,360 (4.5%).
Set against the whole local market, the Construction Laborers 90th percentile of $62,800 is 36% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV all-occupations 90th percentile ($174,600), and its 10th percentile of $37,030 is 102% of the area-wide 10th ($36,260).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $47,430 | $22.80 | $49,670 |
| United States | $47,120 | $22.66 | $52,030 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Construction Laborers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$47,430 a year ($22.80 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $49,670 a year. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #15 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $47,430 in District of Columbia?
About $38,544.24 a year ($1,482.47 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 18.73% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $56,260, take-home is $45,102.62.
How does pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compare with the national median for Construction Laborers?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $47,430 is $310 (0.7%) above the national median of $47,120 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $62,800, against a national 90th percentile of $78,090.
How much do the top 10% of Construction Laborers earn in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$62,800 a year or more ($30.19 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Construction Laborers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On $62,800 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $49,932.86 a year ($1,920.49 per biweekly paycheck) in District of Columbia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 20.49%.
How many Construction Laborers jobs are there in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimates 17,710 Construction Laborers jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — 5.648 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Construction Laborers jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The location quotient is 0.8 — below the national concentration. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Construction Laborers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
From $30,811.84 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($37,030) to $49,932.86 at the 90th ($62,800), under the same single-filer assumptions in District of Columbia.
What is the total wage bill for Construction Laborers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
About $0.88 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 17,710 multiplied by the mean wage of $49,670.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.