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Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?
AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Construction Laborers?
Task-level automation exposure for Construction Laborers: 27 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
12%
weighted task index
27 of 27 tasks scored
Median Salary
$47,120 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Very High
1,096,780 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+7.3%
employment change
120,000 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 54 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$24,270 – $77,110
Highest medians
Hawaii $77,110
New Jersey $64,060
Massachusetts $63,390
Illinois $60,690
California $60,270
Lowest medians
Puerto Rico $24,270
Guam $29,410
Alabama $36,900
Arkansas $37,630
Mississippi $37,710
State figures come from the 47-2061 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 12%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 86%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 0%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 0%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 38/100
Moderate
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
27 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 5%
1 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 0%
0 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 95%
26 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#11472 · Core · 15% automatable
Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.
physical manipulation — Hands-on pump and compressor operation
Operate pumps or compressors.
#11465 · Core · 10% automatable
Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
physical manipulation — Equipment and facility cleaning is hands-on
Clean equipment or facilities. Maintain construction tools or equipment.
#11458 · Core · 5% automatable
Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.
physical manipulation — Directing equipment operators via physical signals
Signal equipment operators to indicate proper equipment positioning.
#11456 · Core · 70% automatable
Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.
visual inspection — Specs reading aided, human validates requirements
Review blueprints or specifications to determine work requirements.
#11461 · Core · 15% automatable
Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.
physical manipulation — Physical site dimension measurement
Measure work site dimensions. Mark reference points on construction materials.
#11455 · Core · 10% automatable
Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards.
physical manipulation — Work site cleaning is physical labor
Clean work sites.
#11459 · Core · 5% automatable
Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.
physical manipulation — Operating compaction equipment by hand on site
Dig holes or trenches. Compact materials to create level bases.
#11462 · Core · 5% automatable
Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications.
physical manipulation — Manual moving of construction materials on site
Load or unload materials used in construction or extraction. Move construction or extraction materials to locations where they are needed.
#11460 · Supplemental · 5% automatable
Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes.
physical manipulation — Positioning structural components is physical labor
Position structural components. Install plumbing or piping.
#19838 · Supplemental · 3% automatable
Perform site activities required of green certified construction practices, such as implementing waste management procedures, identifying materials for reuse, or installing erosion or sedimentation control mechanisms.
physical manipulation — Green structural installation is hands-on
Install green structural components, equipment or systems.
#11457 · Supplemental · 5% automatable
Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones.
situated mobility — Directing live traffic requires physical presence
Direct vehicle traffic.
#11469 · Supplemental · 4% automatable
Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment.
physical manipulation — Hands-on plumbing in structures
Install plumbing or piping.
#11468 · Supplemental · 25% automatable
Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments.
physical manipulation — Air sampling requires on-site instrument operation
Test air quality at work sites.
#11467 · Supplemental · 3% automatable
Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools.
physical manipulation — Skilled hand finishing of concrete surfaces
Finish concrete surfaces.
#11463 · Supplemental · 8% automatable
Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures.
physical manipulation — Erecting temporary structures requires physical assembly
Assemble temporary equipment or structures. Dismantle equipment or temporary structures.
#11471 · Supplemental · 6% automatable
Provide assistance to craft workers, such as carpenters, plasterers, or masons.
physical manipulation — Physical assisting of skilled trades on site
Assist skilled construction or extraction personnel.
#11482 · Supplemental · 10% automatable
Spray materials, such as water, sand, steam, vinyl, paint, or stucco, through hoses to clean, coat, or seal surfaces.
physical manipulation — Surface preparation is hands-on physical work
Clean surfaces in preparation for work activities. Apply paint to surfaces. Apply sealants or other protective coatings.
#11481 · Supplemental · 5% automatable
Raze buildings or salvage useful materials.
physical manipulation — Hands-on removal of worn materials
Remove worn, damaged or outdated materials from work areas.
#11473 · Supplemental · 10% automatable
Mop, brush, or spread paints, cleaning solutions, or other compounds over surfaces to clean them or to provide protection.
physical manipulation — Surface preparation is hands-on physical work
Clean surfaces in preparation for work activities. Apply paint to surfaces.
#11464 · Supplemental · 8% automatable
Position or dismantle forms for pouring concrete, using saws, hammers, nails, or bolts.
physical manipulation — Manual placement and alignment of forms on site
Position construction forms or molds.
#11478 · Supplemental · 8% automatable
Grind, scrape, sand, or polish surfaces, such as concrete, marble, terrazzo, or wood flooring, using abrasive tools or machines.
physical manipulation — Abrasive hand work on physical surfaces
Smooth surfaces with abrasive materials or tools.
#11474 · Supplemental · 3% automatable
Place, consolidate, or protect case-in-place concrete or masonry structures.
physical manipulation — Hands-on placement of protective coverings
Protect structures or surfaces near work areas to avoid damage. Install masonry materials.
#11480 · Supplemental · 12% automatable
Mix ingredients to create compounds for covering or cleaning surfaces.
physical manipulation — Physical handling of substances in workspace
Mix substances or compounds needed for work activities.
#11477 · Supplemental · 7% automatable
Mix, pour, or spread concrete, using portable cement mixers.
physical manipulation — Physical handling of substances in workspace
Mix substances or compounds needed for work activities. Pour materials into or on designated areas. Spread concrete or other aggregate mixtures.
#11466 · Supplemental · 8% automatable
Operate jackhammers or drills to break up concrete or pavement.
physical manipulation — Breaking rock and concrete is physical labor
Break up rock, asphalt, or concrete.
#11483 · Supplemental · 10% automatable
Apply caulking compounds by hand or caulking guns to protect against entry of water or air.
physical manipulation — Applying sealants requires hands-on coating
Apply sealants or other protective coatings.
#11479 · Supplemental · 15% automatable
Tend machines that pump concrete, grout, cement, sand, plaster, or stucco through spray guns for application to ceilings or walls.
physical manipulation — Hands-on pump and compressor operation
Operate pumps or compressors.
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How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
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