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What does a Construction Laborers salary really buy you in Delaware?
Delaware is 2.0% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Delaware's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 98.0, meaning prices are 2.0% lower the national average. A Construction Laborers earning $45,550 in Delaware has the equivalent purchasing power of $46,479 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Delaware's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $33,240 | $33,918 | +$678 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $37,280 | $38,040 | +$760 |
| Median (P50) | $45,550 | $46,479 | +$929 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $56,310 | $57,459 | +$1,149 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $63,730 | $65,030 | +$1,300 |
Delaware's cost of living is close to the national average, so $45,550 keeps most of its value at $46,479 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 98.0, Delaware is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Construction Laborers is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Delaware's cost of living, $45,550 nominal nets out to $46,480 in real purchasing power — a small 2.0% gain. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Construction Laborers.
Delaware's rank of #36 of 51 states means real purchasing power for Construction Laborers trails the national half-way line.
Where does Construction Laborers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Delaware ranks #36 out of 51 states for Construction Laborers after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Construction Laborers take-home pay in Delaware after taxes →
A Construction Laborers in Delaware earns a median salary of $45,550 per year. After adjusting for Delaware's cost of living (RPP=98.0), the real purchasing power is $46,479 — a +2.0% difference.
Delaware's cost of living is 2.0% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Delaware is 98.0 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Construction Laborers in Delaware: $45,550 x (100 / 98.0) = $46,479. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Construction Laborers in Delaware enjoys 2.0% more buying power than the nominal salary suggests, because living costs are below the national average. However, other factors like job availability, career growth, and quality of life also matter.
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