Construction Laborers
On the Job
Construction Laborers may operate hand or power tools like air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, and a variety of others. They may clean or prepare sites. They may dig trenches or put up scaffolding.
Physical Demands 
This career requires time standing, walking, or running.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Signal equipment operators to indicate proper equipment positioning.
- Assist skilled construction or extraction personnel.
- Clean equipment or facilities.
- Clean surfaces in preparation for work activities.
- Clean work sites.
- Compact materials to create level bases.
- Dig holes or trenches.
- Finish concrete surfaces.
- Load or unload materials used in construction or extraction.
- Mix substances or compounds needed for work activities.
Typical Working Conditions
- Frequent contact with others.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Standing.
- Working outdoors exposed to weather.
- Exposure to hazardous equipment.
- Exposure to contaminants (like gases or odors).
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Working with a group or team.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
