Career field
Construction & Extraction careers
Occupations that build infrastructure and extract natural resources. CampusPin lists 60 construction & extraction occupations, with median pay ranging from $38,140 to $106,580 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.
Occupations
60
indexed BLS occupations
Median pay range
$38,140–$106,580
BLS 2024, occupation-wide
Typical pay (midpoint)
$54,500
median of these medians
Most common entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
across 60 occupations
Projected to grow fastest
BLS projected employment change, 2024–2034.
Largest by employment
BLS employment estimate, 2024.
Typical entry-level education
How many of these occupations BLS classifies at each typical entry-level education. Many roles also have experience or licensure requirements beyond a degree.
- High school diploma or equivalent: 32
- No formal educational credential: 28
Occupations in this field
- Elevator and escalator installers and repairers$106,580
- First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers$78,690
- Roof bolters, mining$76,640
- Boilermakers$73,340
- Construction and building inspectors$72,120
- Pile driver operators$70,510
- Loading and moving machine operators, underground mining$68,860
- Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators$67,370
- Underground mining machine operators, all other$67,220
- Rotary drill operators, oil and gas$65,010
- Tapers$64,700
- Continuous mining machine operators$63,380
- Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters$62,970
- Derrick operators, oil and gas$62,740
- Structural iron and steel workers$62,700
- Electricians$62,350
- Sheet metal workers$60,850
- Brickmasons and blockmasons$60,800
- Earth drillers, except oil and gas$59,600
- Carpenters$59,310
- Reinforcing iron and rebar workers$59,280
- Explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters$59,110
- Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators$58,710
- Drywall and ceiling tile installers$58,140
- Service unit operators, oil and gas$57,980
- Terrazzo workers and finishers$57,260
- Insulation workers, mechanical$57,250
- Plasterers and stucco masons$56,020
- Glaziers$55,440
- Cement masons and concrete finishers$54,660
- Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles$54,340
- Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining$52,550
- Tile and stone setters$52,240
- Stonemasons$51,990
- Solar photovoltaic installers$51,860
- Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators$51,650
- Roofers$50,970
- Extraction workers, all other$50,110
- Carpet installers$49,850
- Floor sanders and finishers$49,150
- Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners$49,140
- Highway maintenance workers$49,070
- Pipelayers$48,710
- Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall$48,680
- Painters, construction and maintenance$48,660
- Hazardous materials removal workers$48,490
- Helpers--extraction workers$48,400
- Paperhangers$48,260
- Miscellaneous construction and related workers$48,120
- Roustabouts, oil and gas$47,510
- Rock splitters, quarry$47,460
- Fence erectors$46,940
- Construction laborers$46,730
- Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters$46,480
- Helpers--carpenters$41,600
- Helpers, construction trades, all other$40,760
- Helpers--roofers$40,590
- Helpers--electricians$39,890
- Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters$39,270
- Helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons$38,140
Majors that lead into this field
CampusPin majors whose program maps to occupations in this field via the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk.
Frequently asked questions
What careers are in the construction & extraction field?
CampusPin lists 60 construction & extraction occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including Elevator and escalator installers and repairers, First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers, Roof bolters, mining, Boilermakers. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.
How much do construction & extraction careers pay?
Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $38,140 to $106,580 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $54,500. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.
What education do construction & extraction careers require?
Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is high school diploma or equivalent. 32 occupations list high school diploma or equivalent; 28 occupations list no formal educational credential.
Which construction & extraction careers are projected to grow fastest?
Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Solar photovoltaic installers (+42.1%), Tile and stone setters (+10.1%), Electricians (+9.5%), Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles (+9.5%), Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners (+7.6%). Projections are BLS model estimates, not guarantees.
Put this field in context
The pay and growth numbers above are field-wide BLS medians and national projections across construction & extraction occupations, not a starting salary or a guarantee for any single job. These CampusPin guides explain how to read them and how a field connects to majors and college choices.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
How one major connects to many careers
A major points toward several occupations in a field, not a single destination.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Compare cost, earnings, and debt together
Weigh price, earnings, and debt side by side without reducing a field to one number.
Occupation data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (Employment Projections); wages are 2024 and projections cover 2024–2034. Figures are national, not institution-specific, and projections are estimates, not guarantees.