Spotlight: Construction Employment in the Metro Area
by Tim O'Neill
December 2024
From the building of houses and apartments to the building of commercial or industrial businesses to the building of roads and bridges, the Construction industry is a highly visible, vitally important sector in the Seven-County Metro Area. This month’s Employment Review will shine the spotlight on Construction employment in the Metro Area, along with short-term and long-term employment trends and projections. Occupational wages and employment demographics will also be analyzed, providing a comprehensive look into the sector.
Industry Statistics
According to data from the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), the Metro Area had 7,190 Construction establishments in 2024 supplying just over 79,900 covered jobs. As such, Construction is the Metro Area’s 9th largest-employing industry accounting for 4.5% of the region’s totaIndustry Projections
According to DEED’s Employment Outlook data, Construction employment in the Metro Area is anticipated to increase by 6.5% between 2022 and 2032. This is equivalent to approximately 5,015 net new jobs (Table 4). This is a faster projected growth rate than for the total of all industries in the region during that period, 4.9%. Zooming in, fastest-projected employment growth between 2022 and 2032 is anticipated in Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (10.4%), with the largest growth projected in Specialty Trade Contractors (3,015 net new jobs).
l employment (Table 1). It should be noted that Construction typically has seasonal employment highs during the third quarter of each calendar year, hitting nearly 85,700 covered jobs in the region during Q3 2024.
Total annual payroll for the Construction industry equaled $7.8 billion in 2024, with the average annual wage for all Construction jobs equal to $97,396. The average annual wage in Construction is 20.1% higher than the average annual wage for the total of all industries, $81,068. The average wage in Construction increased 6.1% between 2023 and 2024, up 3.1% when we account for inflation during that period.
| Table 1. Metro Area Industry Statistics, 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Number of Jobs | Share of Total Jobs | Number of Firms | Total Payroll ($1,000s) | Avg. Annual Wage |
| Total, All Industries | 1,763,350 | 100.0% | 94,804 | $142,913,859 | $81,068 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 304,298 | 17.3% | 14,721 | $20,157,325 | $66,196 |
| Manufacturing | 172,772 | 9.8% | 3,989 | $16,164,650 | $93,548 |
| Retail Trade | 155,422 | 8.8% | 8,398 | $6,540,209 | $42,068 |
| Educational Services | 137,859 | 7.8% | 2,438 | $9,263,240 | $67,028 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 134,980 | 7.7% | 6,575 | $4,074,409 | $30,160 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 124,189 | 7.0% | 12,323 | $15,738,983 | $126,724 |
| Finance and Insurance | 99,531 | 5.6% | 5,119 | $14,955,325 | $150,228 |
| Administrative and Support Services | 84,291 | 4.8% | 4,631 | $4,655,268 | $55,224 |
| Construction | 79,927 | 4.5% | 7,190 | $7,773,007 | $97,396 |
| Public Administration | 79,706 | 4.5% | 829 | $6,645,472 | $83,356 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 79,076 | 4.5% | 2,162 | $5,817,200 | $73,528 |
| Wholesale Trade | 77,811 | 4.4% | 5,305 | $8,501,256 | $109,252 |
| Management of Companies | 74,213 | 4.2% | 1,069 | $11,079,313 | $149,032 |
| Other Services | 56,426 | 3.2% | 11,207 | $2,881,617 | $51,064 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 35,900 | 2.0% | 1,889 | $1,986,449 | $55,588 |
| Information | 28,725 | 1.6% | 2,070 | $3,456,131 | $120,276 |
| Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing | 27,077 | 1.5% | 4,428 | $2,016,935 | $74,516 |
| Utilities | 7,034 | 0.4% | 119 | $966,216 | $137,384 |
| Agriculture | 3,577 | 0.2% | 303 | $161,154 | $45,136 |
| Mining | 532 | 0.0% | 40 | $79,700 | $152,308 |
| Source: DEED Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) | |||||
The Construction industry sector can be broken down into three main industry subsectors: Construction of Buildings, Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction, and Specialty Trade Contractors. Each of these subsectors is defined through the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as such:
- Construction of Buildings: This sector comprises establishments primarily responsible for the construction of buildings. The work performed may include new work, additions, alterations, or maintenance and repairs. The on-site assembly of precut, panelized, and prefabricated buildings and construction of temporary buildings are included in this subsector. Part or all of the production work for which the establishments in this subsector have responsibility may be subcontracted to other construction establishments – usually specialty trade contractors. Establishments in this subsector are classified based on the types of buildings they construct. The classification reflects variations in the requirements of the underlying production processes.
- Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction: This sector comprises establishments whose primary activity is the construction of entire engineering projects (e.g., highways and dams), and specialty trade contractors whose primary activity is the production of a specific component for such projects. Construction projects involving water resources (e.g., dredging and land drainage) and projects involving open space improvement (e.g., parks and trails) are included in this subsector. Establishments in this subsector are classified based on the types of structures that construct. This classification reflects variations in the requirements of the underlying production processes.
- Specialty Trade Contractors: This sector comprises establishments whose primary activity is performing specific activities (e.g., pouring concrete, site preparation, plumbing, painting, and electrical work) involved in building construction or other activities that are similar for all types of construction, but that are not responsible for the entire project. The production work performed by establishments in this subsector is usually subcontracted from establishments of the general contractor type or for-sale builders, but especially in remodeling and repair construction, work also may be done directly for the owner of the property. Specialty trade contractors usually perform most of their work at the construction site, although they may have shops where they perform prefabrication and other work. Establishments primarily engaged in preparing sites for new construction are also included in the subsector. Establishments in the subsector are classified based on the underlying production function for the specialty trade in which they specialize.
| Table 2. Metro Area Construction Statistics, 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Number of Jobs | Share of Jobs | Number of Firms | Total Payroll ($1,000s) | Avg. Annual Wage |
| Total, All Industries | 1,763,350 | 100.0% | 94,804 | $142,913,859 | $81,068 |
| Construction | 79,927 | 4.5% | 7,190 | $7,773,007 | $97,396 |
| Construction of Buildings | 18,247 | 22.8% | 2,061 | $1,951,083 | $107,068 |
| Residential Building Construction | 8,987 | 49.3% | 1,683 | $776,447 | $86,424 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 9,260 | 50.7% | 378 | $1,174,636 | $127,192 |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 10,738 | 13.4% | 303 | $1,239,054 | $116,324 |
| Utility System Construction | 3,174 | 29.6% | 131 | $304,383 | $94,900 |
| Land Subdivision | 162 | 1.5% | 35 | $21,281 | $130,156 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 6,587 | 61.3% | 92 | $835,052 | $128,752 |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 814 | 7.6% | 45 | $78,339 | $96,304 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 50,942 | 63.7% | 4,827 | $4,582,870 | $89,960 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 8,701 | 17.1% | 958 | $724,830 | $83,148 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 24,253 | 47.6% | 1,405 | $2,406,734 | $99,216 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | 10,509 | 20.6% | 1,434 | $792,958 | $75,504 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 7,478 | 14.7% | 1,030 | $658,348 | $87,672 |
| Source: DEED Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) | |||||
As of 2024 the Metro Area had 4,827 Specialty Trade Contractors establishments supplying 50,942 covered jobs. This made Specialty Trade Contractors the largest employing of the three major Construction subsectors, accounting for 63.7% of the region’s total Construction employment. Construction of Buildings (2,061 establishments supplying 18,247 jobs) and Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (303 establishments supplying 10,738 jobs) accounted for 22.8% and 13.4% of the region’s total Construction employment, respectively (Table 2).
Average annual wages were highest in Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction ($116,324), especially in Land Subdivision ($130,156), and Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction ($128,752). Average annual wages were also higher in Nonresidential Building Construction ($127,192). All construction sectors had average annual wages significantly above the basic-needs cost of living for individuals in the region ($40,212), and close to or above the basic-needs cost of living for the typical family of three ($76,524).
Industry Trends
Construction employment in the Metro Area has witnessed its fair share of fluctuation over the past two decades. Of course, the industry experienced the most trauma between 2005 and 2010, when it lost just over 28,500 jobs (36.3%). The industry rebounded, however, experiencing nearly a decade of uninterrupted employment growth. Between 2010 and 2019, Construction employment in the Metro Area increased by over 25,700 jobs (51.5%), nearly regaining all the jobs lost during the Great Recession. Another recession, this time caused by the impacts of a global pandemic, would result in Construction’s only over-the-year employment loss over a 13-year span of time. And that 3.4% decline in 2020 (2,585 jobs), was much less severe than the respective loss of employment across all industries in the region, 7.4% (Figure 1).
More recently, Construction’s over-the-year employment gains in the Metro Area have begun to trend downward. The industry did have strong gains coming out of the pandemic recession, adding nearly 5,200 jobs between 2020 and 2022. Between 2022 and 2024, the industry added just over 1,600 jobs. Over-the-year employment gains declined from 3.9% in 2021, to 3.1% in 2022, to 2.4% in 2023, and most recently showed a 0.3% decline in 2024 (Figure 2). The employment decline over 2024, while slight, was the first time the Construction industry failed to beat over-the-year growth against the total of all industries since 2016.
Construction’s employment loss in the Metro Area between 2023 and 2024 was largely caused by employment losses in Specialty Trade Contractors. This sector, which experienced employment loss of 0.8% (391 jobs), was weakened by losses in Building Finishing Contractors (3.9%; 421 jobs), as well as Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors (2.5%; 223 jobs). This sector did see gains over the year in Building Equipment Contractors (0.8%; 185 jobs) as well as Other Specialty Trade Contractors (0.9%; 68 jobs). Zooming out, overall losses in Specialty Trade Contractors were softened by slight gains in Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (0.6%; 68 jobs) as well as Construction of Buildings (0.4%; 67 jobs). For Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction, employment losses in Utility System Construction were overcome by gains in Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (Table 3).
Over the past five years, between 2019 and 2024, all three Construction subsectors witnessed employment growth in the Metro Area. This growth was led by Specialty Trade Contractors, which added more than 1,700 jobs during that period (3.5%). Zooming in to all these sectors, growth was led by Residential Building Construction (22.8%; 1,668 jobs) and Building Equipment Contractors (5.3%; 1,212 jobs).
| Table 3. Metro Area Construction Employment Trends, 2019 – 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | 2024 Number of Jobs | 2023 – 2024 Job Change | 2019 – 2024 Job Change | ||
| Numeric | Percent | Numeric | Percent | ||
| Total, All Industries | 1,763,350 | +6,017 | +0.3% | -13,089 | -0.7% |
| Construction | 79,927 | -257 | -0.3% | +4,214 | +5.6% |
| Construction of Buildings | 18,247 | +67 | +0.4% | +1,064 | +6.2% |
| Residential Building Construction | 8,987 | 3 | +0% | +1,668 | +22.8% |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 9,260 | +63 | +0.7% | -605 | -6.1% |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 10,738 | +68 | +0.6% | +1,409 | +15.1% |
| Utility System Construction | 3,174 | -136 | -4.1% | +349 | +12.4% |
| Land Subdivision | 162 | -1 | -0.6% | -16 | -9.0% |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 6,587 | +180 | +2.8% | +578 | +9.6% |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 814 | +24 | +3.0% | +498 | +157.6% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 50,942 | -391 | -0.8% | +1,741 | +3.5% |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 8,701 | -223 | -2.5% | +116 | +1.4% |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 24,253 | +185 | +0.8% | +1,212 | +5.3% |
| Building Finishing Contractors | 10,509 | -421 | -3.9% | -265 | -2.5% |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 7,478 | +68 | +0.9% | +678 | +10.0% |
| Source: DEED Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages | |||||
Industry Projections
According to DEED’s Employment Outlook data, Construction employment in the Metro Area is anticipated to increase by 6.5% between 2022 and 2032. This is equivalent to approximately 5,015 net new jobs (Table 4). This is a faster projected growth rate than for the total of all industries in the region during that period, 4.9%. Zooming in, fastest-projected employment growth between 2022 and 2032 is anticipated in Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (10.4%), with the largest growth projected in Specialty Trade Contractors (3,015 net new jobs).
| Table 4. Metro Area Industry Employment Projections, 2022 – 2032 Sorted by Total Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAICS | Industry | 2022 Estimated Employment | 2032 Projected Employment | Percent Change | Total Change |
| 000000 | Total, All Industries | 1,927,280 | 2,022,157 | +4.9% | +94,877 |
| 23 | Construction | 76,624 | 81,639 | +6.5% | +5,015 |
| 236 | Construction of Buildings | 18,282 | 19,577 | +7.1% | +1,295 |
| 237 | Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 6,799 | 7,504 | +10.4% | +705 |
| 238 | Specialty Trade Contractors | 51,543 | 54,558 | +5.8% | +3,015 |
| DEED Employment Outlook | |||||
It should be noted that despite projected employment net gains or losses, there is also anticipated to be significant employment openings from current workers leaving their occupations between 2022 and 2032. These openings, known as labor market exit openings, can be caused by current workers retiring. This level of analysis is only available for occupations and occupational groups within DEED’s Employment Outlook tool. According to this data, Construction and Extraction Occupations in the Metro Area are projected to increase by 6.5% between 2022 and 2032. This is equivalent to nearly 4,600 net new jobs. However, there are projected to be approximately 24,900 labor market exit openings in Construction and Extraction Occupations in the Metro Area during that period (Table 5).
| Table 5. Metro Area Occupational Group Projections, 2022 – 2032 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupation | Estimated 2022 Employment | Projected 2032 Employment | Percent Change | Numeric Change | Labor Market Exit Openings |
| Total All Occupations | 1,927,280 | 2,022,157 | 4.9% | 94,877 | 921,025 |
| Construction and Extraction | 70,672 | 75,267 | 6.5% | 4,595 | 24,853 |
| Source: DEED Employment Outlook | |||||
Construction Employment Demographics
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI) data allows us to analyze industry employment by demographics, including age, race, ethnicity, gender, and educational attainment. According to this data, the Construction industry sector in the Metro Area had over two-thirds (68.9%) of its jobs held by workers in the prime-working age group (25 to 54 years). Comparatively, 63.4% of total jobs in all industries were held by workers between the ages of 25 and 54 years. A slightly smaller share of Construction jobs was held by younger workers 14-24 years (11.5%) than for the total of all industries (13.8%). A smaller share of Construction jobs was also held by older workers 55 years and over (19.6%) than for the total of all industries (22.9%) (Figure 3).
Along with this snapshot in time, data from the QWI allows users to see demographic shifts in workforce composition. Over the past five years of available data, between the third quarters of 2019 and 2024, Construction employment in the Metro Area increased by 7.7% (6,896 jobs). The largest increase in this industry’s workforce over that period was for those in their prime-working years (5.5%; 3,470 jobs). The fastest-growth, however, were at both age extremes. Those construction jobs held by those 65 years of age and older increased by 50.4% (1,517 jobs) between Q3 2019 and Q3 2024. Meanwhile, those jobs held by workers less than 25 years of age increased by 16.0% (1,537 jobs).
When we analyze employment by race, QWI data reveals that the Metro Area’s Construction industry sector was less diverse than for the total of all industries combined. During Q3 2024, 91.7% of Construction jobs in the region were held by white workers compared to 78.6% across all industries (Figure 4). Construction did have a higher share of Hispanic or Latino workers during that period. 7.7% versus 6.6% for the total of all industries.
During Q3 2024, 17.4% of all Construction jobs or nearly 16,800 jobs in the Metro Area were held by female workers. This was up from 14.9% in 2019.
Occupational Employment and Wages
The Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) showcases specific employment and hourly wage data at the state and regional levels. Table 6 reveals those 15 top-employing construction and extraction occupations in the Metro Area, along with hourly wage percentiles. For example, Construction Laborers is the largest-employing construction and extraction occupation in the region with an estimated 13,400 jobs. The median hourly wage for such workers was $29.82 in 2025, with half of all Construction Laborers earning between $24.69 per hour and $38.48 per hour.
Table 7 highlights 12 occupations that are concentrated within the Construction industry sector, but that don’t require doing construction-related work. For example, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants; Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers; and Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers are those top occupations with the highest concentration of employment in the Construction industry sector that don’t typically require doing construction-related tasks.
| Table 6. Top-Employing Construction and Extraction Occupations the Metro Area, 2025 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOC Code | Occupational Title | Estimated Employment | Hourly Wage Percentiles | ||||
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | |||
| 000000 | Total, All Occupations | 1,762,280 | $16.48 | $19.47 | $28.48 | $42.50 | $63.28 |
| 470000 | Construction and Extraction Occupations | 59,580 | $23.70 | $29.29 | $38.33 | $47.31 | $52.41 |
| 472061 | Construction Laborers | 13,400 | $20.44 | $24.69 | $29.82 | $38.48 | $45.22 |
| 472031 | Carpenters | 8,580 | $23.93 | $30.10 | $38.06 | $45.15 | $47.56 |
| 472111 | Electricians | 7,260 | $24.90 | $30.68 | $47.42 | $52.23 | $56.59 |
| 471011 | First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 6,550 | $32.54 | $39.59 | $49.98 | $53.19 | $62.68 |
| 472152 | Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 4,630 | $24.60 | $32.52 | $48.40 | $52.36 | $60.13 |
| 472073 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 3,250 | $31.29 | $37.73 | $40.23 | $46.80 | $48.44 |
| 472141 | Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 2,440 | $18.07 | $22.73 | $30.00 | $38.66 | $45.10 |
| 472051 | Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | 2,090 | $24.97 | $29.98 | $33.63 | $44.21 | $49.64 |
| 472211 | Sheet Metal Workers | 1,600 | $24.60 | $24.60 | $30.64 | $50.36 | $58.04 |
| 474051 | Highway Maintenance Workers | 1,240 | $17.93 | $26.64 | $29.88 | $33.14 | $36.78 |
| 472181 | Roofers | 1,220 | $23.39 | $29.71 | $38.79 | $46.10 | $47.61 |
| 474011 | Construction and Building Inspectors | 800 | $33.02 | $38.73 | $44.84 | $49.21 | $55.04 |
| 472131 | Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall | 790 | $23.62 | $24.98 | $29.80 | $35.74 | $50.10 |
| 472021 | Brickmasons ads Blockmasons | 740 | $30.54 | $40.31 | $43.89 | $47.00 | $48.42 |
| 472221 | Structural Iron and Steel Workers | 660 | $38.71 | $41.63 | $46.15 | $46.66 | $46.72 |
| Source: DEED Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics | |||||||
| Table 7. Other Important Occupations Within the Construction Industry, Metro Area, 2025 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOC Code | Occupational Title | Estimated Employment | Hourly Wage Percentiles | ||||
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | |||
| 436014 | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 16,560 | $19.02 | $22.48 | $25.00 | $29.17 | $31.61 |
| 533032 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 16,660 | $23.59 | $28.45 | $30.85 | $35.78 | $39.99 |
| 499021 | Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | 2,780 | $23.65 | $30.33 | $37.90 | $44.69 | $48.69 |
| 111021 | General and Operations Managers | 43,270 | $24.10 | $34.72 | $49.86 | $78.27 | $106.77 |
| 131051 | Cost Estimators | 2,580 | $28.10 | $35.35 | $39.30 | $50.41 | $62.35 |
| 439061 | Office Clerks, General | 32,710 | $16.94 | $19.48 | $23.33 | $28.76 | $34.25 |
| 499052 | Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | 380 | $23.26 | $28.09 | $36.80 | $46.18 | $48.61 |
| 433031 | Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 15,330 | $18.57 | $23.14 | $27.40 | $30.50 | $36.15 |
| 492098 | Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | 470 | $25.00 | $30.75 | $39.62 | $42.38 | $53.01 |
| 372011 | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 26,390 | $15.08 | $17.75 | $19.27 | $22.51 | $24.47 |
| 132011 | Accountants and Auditors | 20,910 | $28.94 | $33.23 | $40.46 | $50.86 | $67.53 |
| 493042 | Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics | 1,520 | $26.12 | $31.45 | $38.18 | $42.34 | $47.33 |
| Source: DEED Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics | |||||||