AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 47-2061.00

Will AI replace Construction Laborers?

Construction Laborers: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 27 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 27 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Construction Laborers, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.2
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. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Provide assistance to craft workers, such as carpenters, plasterers, or masons. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
Spray materials, such as water, sand, steam, vinyl, paint, or stucco, through hoses to clean, coat, or seal surfaces. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Raze buildings or salvage useful materials. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Mop, brush, or spread paints, cleaning solutions, or other compounds over surfaces to clean them or to provide protection. 15 Estimated No tier 3.4
Position or dismantle forms for pouring concrete, using saws, hammers, nails, or bolts. 15 Estimated No tier 3.3
Place, consolidate, or protect case-in-place concrete or masonry structures. 15 Estimated No tier 3.2
Mix ingredients to create compounds for covering or cleaning surfaces. 15 Estimated No tier 3.0
Mix, pour, or spread concrete, using portable cement mixers. 15 Estimated No tier 3.0
Operate jackhammers or drills to break up concrete or pavement. 15 Estimated No tier 3.0
Apply caulking compounds by hand or caulking guns to protect against entry of water or air. 15 Estimated No tier 2.8
Tend machines that pump concrete, grout, cement, sand, plaster, or stucco through spray guns for application to ceilings or walls. 15 Estimated No tier 2.7
Grind, scrape, sand, or polish surfaces, such as concrete, marble, terrazzo, or wood flooring, using abrasive tools or machines. 12 Estimated No tier 3.2

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 27 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 27 of 27. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 24% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 24% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 76% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
1,096,780
Median annual wage
$47,120
Middle half of earners
$38,620 to $59,740
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+7.3%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Construction Laborers and AI

Will AI replace Construction Laborers?

Not on current evidence. None of the 27 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 19 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.

What is the AI exposure of Construction Laborers?

19 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 27 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 27 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Construction Laborers tasks can AI already do?

None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities, at 50 out of 100.

What AI model tier does this role need?

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 24% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 76% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Construction Laborers, and what do they earn?

1,096,780 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $47,120 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +7.3% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Construction Laborers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/construction-laborers

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