Average Labor Salary

U.S.

For all jobs, the BLS reports over 127 million workers earning mean salaries of $21.35 per hour or $44,410 per year. In the most populous state, California, over 14 million workers make a mean $24.39 per hour or $50,730 per year. And in the nation's largest metropolitan region, New York City, mean labor salaries run $26.48 per hour or $55,080 per year for over 8 million workers.

The farming, fishing and forestry sector of the economy produces and/or harvests agricultural, forest and animal products for consumption and manufacturing. The BLS classifies 408,040 jobs in this category, with mean earnings of $11.70 per hour or $24,330 per year. Farm workers who handle crops, nurseries and greenhouses form over 50 percent of this sector, and earn the lowest mean wages at $9.64 per hour or $20,040 per year. The 31,880 farm workers who deal with animals in ranches and farms make a mean $11.56 per hour or $24,040. Unclassified agricultural workers, who number 7,490, get a mean $13.35 per hour or $27,780 per year.

Construction and extraction occupations pull mineral products out of the ground and construct buildings and other structures used as homes, offices, factories, schools, and other public or private spaces. Over 5 million work in this sector, earning a mean $21.09 per hour or $43,870 per year. While this category includes highly skilled and highly paid tradespeople such as carpenters and electricians, it also includes much unskilled labor. About 777,700 construction laborers make a mean $16.15 per hour or $33,590 per year. The lowest salaries go to helpers of painters, paperhangers, plasterers and stucco masons. The 12,320 laborers here make a mean $11.89 per hour or $24,730 per year.

The 4.1 million workers who clean homes, offices, gardens and public spaces are classified under building and ground cleaning and maintenance occupations. They make a mean $12.16 per hour or $25,300 per year. The lowest paid of these workers are the 865,960 maids and housekeepers who perform light cleaning duties in hotels, hospitals and homes. They get a mean $10.17 per hour or $21,159 per year. The over two million janitors perform heavier cleaning and light maintenance such as replacing light bulbs or fixing faucets. They earn a mean $11.81 per hour or $24,560 per year. The remaining 12,280 unclassified cleaners get a mean $13.38 per hour or $27,830 per year.