Salaries remain high in the construction industry

Words: Jennifer WilkersonSkilled craft professionals continue to earn top dollar, according to NCCER's 2015 Construction Craft Salary Survey. Each year, NCCER surveys companies and organizations from the industrial and commercial construction industries across the U.S about the salaries of their craft professionals. The Construction Craft Salary Survey represents average annual salaries for individual craft areas, not including overtime, per diem, bonuses or other incentives.

Of the nearly 90 construction groups surveyed, average annual salaries for craft professions ranged from just over $47,000 to almost $89,000. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list, earning $88,675 and $77,917, respectively. Other professions earning more than $65,000 annually include tower crane operators, power generation technicians, combo welders, power line workers and instrumentation technicians. Mobile crane operators, millwrights, pipe welders, electronic systems technicians and heavy equipment operators earned more than $60,000 in 2015. Since many craft professionals receive overtime, per diem, project bonuses and other pay incentives, their take-home pay is typically much greater than the salaries listed in this survey.

NCCER's Construction Craft Survey is one of numerous resources that NCCER and its Build Your Future initiative offer to promote construction careers and assist in creating a pipeline of qualified craft professionals to the industry. Complete survey results are available at www.nccer.org/uploads/docs/2015_ConstructionCraftSalarySurvey.pdf.

The organizations that participate in NCCER's survey do so voluntarily, and all specific company information remains confidential. Only craft areas in which the number of responses received is sufficient to calculate a valid average are included in the survey results.
About: Featured
Who Knows Most About Keeping Masonry Workers Safe?

As a safety professional who has specialized largely in masonry safety since the late 1980s, I’ve grown to think that I know a great deal about keeping masonry workers safe. That being said, I must admit that my colleagues and I know more about complianc

Read More
Recognizing Women in the Industry

Masonry was introduced to the world through the imagination, determination, and pure strength of mankind. The first masons’ unique abilities harnessed the earth around them to create the structures that provided the security that allowed us to advance. Th

By: Cassie Mejia
Read More
Understanding Different Types of Trowels Originating Through Government Specifications

Trowels are essential tools in masonry, each one designed with specific functions and specifications to aid in various tasks. Knowing the right type of trowel to use can greatly impact the quality and efficiency of your work. This article dives into the f

By: Paul Bender
About: MAP Partner
Read More
Natural Stone Institute Holds Utah Study Tour

Oberlin, OH, September 17, 2024—157 attendees from 48 member companies and 5 architectural firms attended the annual NSI Study Tour, which took place in Salt Lake City August 25-28, with an optional extension to Idaho on August 29. Highlights included an

By: Amy Oakley
Read More
Interested in working with us? Learn about and join the Masonry Alliance Program →