Craft Laborer
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- Craft Laborer
CAREER OVERVIEW
Craft laborers perform tasks involving physical labor at building, highway, and heavy construction projects, tunnel and shaft excavations, and demolition sites. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, clean up rubble and debris, and remove asbestos, lead, and other hazardous waste materials. May assist other craft workers.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Craft laborers need manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, good physical fitness, a good sense of balance, and an ability to work as a member of a team. Primary skills used in this occupation include: clean tools and equipment; dig holes or trenches for foundations, posts, poles; grade or tamp earth for roads or other construction; load, unload, or stack containers, materials, or equipment; measure and mark layout for construction projects; prepare building surfaces for paint, finishes, wallpaper, or adhesives; prepare site or surfaces for concrete or masonry work; use hand or power tools; read work order instructions; adhere to safety procedures; assist trades workers.
AVERAGE SALARY
- $47,200 (annually)
- $22.69 (hourly)
SALARY RANGES
- $36,880 – $59,530 (annually)
- $17.73 – $28.62 (hourly)
*SOURCE: Occupational Employment Statistics Program, US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for Colorado. Updated from July 2024. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
Key Trades Opportunities
- Administrative
- CAD/Drafter
- Carpenter
- Carpet Installer
- Concrete Finishing
- Craft Laborer
- Drywall Installer
- Electrician
- Elevator Installer & Repair
- Enclosures
- Estimator
- Glazier
- Hazardous Materials Tech
- Heavy Equipment Mechanic
- Heavy Equipment Operator
- HVAC Tech
- Ironworker
- Landscape Architect
- Mason (Brick, Block, Stone)
- Painter
- Pipefitter
- Pipelayer
- Plumber
- Project Engineer
- Project Manager
- Roofer
- Safety & Risk Management
- Sheet Metal Worker
- Superintendent
- Tile & Wood Installer
- Truck Driver
- Welder
- Wind Technician