Residential Building Worker Wages on the Rise
Average hourly earnings for residential building workers continue to rise as the construction labor market remains tight. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), average hourly earnings for residential building workers was $28.66 in February 2022, increasing 6% from $27.01 a year ago.
Earnings for residential building workers have increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic recession. Between December 2019 and December 2021, average hourly earnings increased about 12%.
Jing Fu, NAHB director of forecasting and analysis, provides more in this Eye on Housing post.
Latest from NAHBNow
Nov 19, 2025
The New Frontier of Jobsite Efficiency: How Flat-Packed Door Systems Are Transforming InstallsPre-hung doors have long been the default choice for builders and remodelers. But with their benefits, they also come with logistical downsides. More builders are turning to a new alternative: flat-packed, “knocked-down” door systems that ship efficiently and assemble cleanly on-site.
Nov 19, 2025
NAHB Offers Lawmakers Recommendations on National E-Verify SystemNAHB today offered Congress several recommendations to make a national E-Verify employment verification system workable for small businesses and members of the residential construction industry.
Latest Economic News
Nov 19, 2025
Affordability Impacts: Young Adults Are Once Again Moving Back HomeThe share of young adults living with parents increased in 2024, interrupting the post-pandemic trend of moving out of parental homes.
Nov 18, 2025
Location, Location, Location: How Place and Neighborhood Shape Home ValuesThe value of a single-family home depends not only on its physical features but also on its location and neighborhood context.
Nov 18, 2025
Builder Sentiment Relatively Flat in November as Market Headwinds PersistMarket uncertainty exacerbated by the government shutdown along with economic uncertainty stemming from tariffs and rising construction costs kept builder confidence firmly in negative territory in November.