Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
California employs 669,340 Construction & Extraction professionals across 54 occupations. Explore salary ranges, top paying jobs, and career opportunities within the Construction & Extraction industry.
The best-compensated occupations within Construction & Extraction in California, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Construction & Extraction industry in California, sorted by median salary (highest to lowest). Click any job title for state-specific salary details.
| # | Job Title | Median Salary | Mean Salary | Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $141,180 | $137,670 | 1,910 | $67/hr |
| 2 | Insulation Workers, Mechanical | $119,690 | $108,970 | 1,310 | $57/hr |
| 3 | Boilermakers | $118,150 | $115,900 | 720 | $56/hr |
| 4 | Pile Driver Operators | $110,340 | $109,410 | 480 | $53/hr |
| 5 | Construction and Building Inspectors | $101,290 | $103,850 | 13,420 | $48/hr |
| 6 | First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $97,680 | $103,760 | 71,750 | $46/hr |
| 7 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $87,160 | $94,000 | 36,020 | $41/hr |
| 8 | Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | $83,130 | $94,440 | 1,400 | $39/hr |
| 9 | Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | $80,370 | $75,140 | 220 | $38/hr |
| 10 | Sheet Metal Workers | $76,590 | $85,580 | 8,390 | $36/hr |
| 11 | Structural Iron and Steel Workers | $76,370 | $80,920 | 7,110 | $36/hr |
| 12 | Pipelayers | $76,180 | $77,930 | 1,420 | $36/hr |
| 13 | Electricians | $76,160 | $85,860 | 73,310 | $36/hr |
| 14 | Carpenters | $75,920 | $78,810 | 100,750 | $36/hr |
| 15 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | $74,500 | $85,520 | 790 | $35/hr |
| 16 | Tapers | $73,460 | $76,260 | 4,540 | $35/hr |
| 17 | Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $72,830 | $82,320 | 47,660 | $35/hr |
| 18 | Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | $71,170 | $67,340 | 770 | $34/hr |
| 19 | Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $69,050 | $73,120 | 3,820 | $33/hr |
| 20 | Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | $66,910 | $69,450 | 1,630 | $32/hr |
| 21 | Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers | $65,880 | $74,680 | 27,280 | $31/hr |
| 22 | Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | $65,520 | $79,290 | 460 | $31/hr |
| 23 | Glaziers | $64,040 | $75,020 | 7,020 | $30/hr |
| 24 | Roofers | $63,600 | $67,420 | 21,190 | $30/hr |
| 25 | Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers | $63,110 | $72,220 | 2,390 | $30/hr |
| 26 | Continuous Mining Machine Operators | $62,790 | $69,250 | 940 | $30/hr |
| 27 | Paperhangers | $62,790 | $70,790 | 130 | $30/hr |
| 28 | Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | $62,700 | $70,920 | 28,700 | $30/hr |
| 29 | Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | $62,580 | $68,290 | 2,820 | $30/hr |
| 30 | Rock Splitters, Quarry | $61,620 | $66,660 | 290 | $29/hr |
| 31 | Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles | $61,210 | $70,700 | 4,330 | $29/hr |
| 32 | Stonemasons | $60,930 | $66,540 | 1,250 | $29/hr |
| 33 | Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers | $60,890 | $70,000 | 2,560 | $29/hr |
| 34 | Solar Photovoltaic Installers | $60,600 | $63,280 | 6,830 | $29/hr |
| 35 | Construction Laborers | $60,270 | $64,870 | 88,240 | $28/hr |
| 36 | Plasterers and Stucco Masons | $59,940 | $64,030 | 6,780 | $28/hr |
| 37 | Highway Maintenance Workers | $59,580 | $63,070 | 8,150 | $28/hr |
| 38 | Painters, Construction and Maintenance | $59,020 | $62,460 | 38,430 | $28/hr |
| 39 | Tile and Stone Setters | $58,880 | $63,800 | 8,250 | $28/hr |
| 40 | Hazardous Materials Removal Workers | $56,120 | $60,750 | 7,340 | $26/hr |
| 41 | Fence Erectors | $56,060 | $58,390 | 3,150 | $26/hr |
| 42 | Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | $55,480 | $59,400 | N/A | $26/hr |
| 43 | Helpers--Roofers | $55,470 | $58,790 | 1,200 | $26/hr |
| 44 | Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | $55,220 | $57,610 | 3,130 | $26/hr |
| 45 | Carpet Installers | $54,440 | $59,640 | 2,270 | $26/hr |
| 46 | Helpers--Electricians | $52,080 | $53,730 | 3,120 | $25/hr |
| 47 | Helpers--Extraction Workers | $51,720 | $51,370 | 1,170 | $24/hr |
| 48 | Helpers--Carpenters | $49,890 | $54,530 | 2,670 | $23/hr |
| 49 | Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters | $49,590 | $53,440 | 3,600 | $23/hr |
| 50 | Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | $48,880 | $56,070 | 660 | $23/hr |
| 51 | Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall | $48,840 | $61,840 | 3,080 | $23/hr |
| 52 | Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $47,130 | $49,080 | 2,500 | $22/hr |
| 53 | Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons | $46,220 | $48,050 | 1,990 | $22/hr |
| 54 | Terrazzo Workers and Finishers | $41,430 | $45,720 | N/A | $19/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across California:
California has 54 Construction & Extraction occupations with 669,340 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Construction & Extraction occupation in California is Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers with a median salary of $141,180/year.
The average median salary across 54 Construction & Extraction occupations in California is $68,382/year.
Salaries in Construction & Extraction in California range from $34,320 (entry-level) to $173,920 (senior) across all occupations.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes organize jobs into groups. Construction & Extraction occupations use SOC prefix 47. Data comes from BLS OEWS.
Data: BLS OEWS 2025. Salary figures represent May 2025 compensation for occupations classified under SOC code 47* in California. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources