Construction Laborer Salary in Birmingham, AL
Construction Laborers in the Birmingham, AL metro area earn a median $38,370 a year — 19% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $31,357 take-home, or $2,613 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median construction laborer salary in Birmingham, AL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,424
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,379
- Medicare (1.45%)$556
- Alabama income tax$1,654
- Take-home pay$31,357
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.00% state
Living in Birmingham? City residents also pay Birmingham’s Occupational Tax — about $384 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $30,973 ($2,581 a month). Choose “Birmingham” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Construction Laborer pay by experience in Birmingham, AL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $28,250 | $13.58 | $23,726 | $1,977 |
| 25th percentile | $32,250 | $15.50 | $26,745 | $2,229 |
| Median (50th) | $38,370 | $18.45 | $31,357 | $2,613 |
| 75th percentile | $47,010 | $22.60 | $37,867 | $3,156 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $51,730 | $24.87 | $41,424 | $3,452 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Alabama resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $38,370 buys in Birmingham, AL
Prices in Birmingham, AL are 8.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 28% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median construction laborer's $31,357 take-home pay has the buying power of $34,216 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Birmingham, AL has 1.3× the national concentration of construction laborer jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for construction laborers, adjusted for cost of living
Birmingham, AL ranks #74 of 76 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis, MO | $64,500 | $51,912 | $54,593 |
| 2 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $77,960 | $59,280 | $53,424 |
| 3 | Columbus, OH | $60,540 | $49,941 | $52,312 |
| 4 | Cleveland, OH | $57,180 | $47,334 | $50,397 |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | $68,470 | $53,843 | $48,761 |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $72,610 | $56,371 | $48,758 |
| 7 | Milwaukee, WI | $57,430 | $46,579 | $48,051 |
| 8 | Cincinnati, OH | $54,930 | $45,588 | $47,801 |
| 74 | Birmingham, AL | $38,370 | $31,357 | $34,216 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 76 metros →
About the job: construction laborers
Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris, and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers. Construction laborers who primarily assist a particular craft worker are classified under "Helpers, Construction Trades" (47-3010).
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +7.3% (faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a construction laborer make in Birmingham, AL?
The median construction laborer salary in the Birmingham, AL metro area is $38,370 a year, or about $18.45 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $32,250 and $47,010.
What is a construction laborer’s take-home pay in Birmingham, AL?
On the median $38,370 salary, a single filer living in Alabama takes home about $31,357 a year ($2,613 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,654 in Alabama taxes in 2026.
Is Birmingham, AL a good place to work as a construction laborer?
Pay here is 19% below the national median of $47,120. Local prices are 8.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $34,216 would in a typical U.S. city. Birmingham, AL ranks #74 of 76 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a construction laborer afford rent in Birmingham, AL?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Birmingham, AL is $1,115 a month ($1,234 for two bedrooms) — 43% of a median construction laborer’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Birmingham, AL
- First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers — $71,280
- Electrician — $56,630