The typical U.S. construction worker is 41, or roughly the same age as the average worker in the overall American workforce. For specifics, NAHB’s analysis of the most recent 2015 American Community Survey (ACS) found that the median age of a laborer varies by occupation and by region of the country.
Workers in the Northeast skew older: The median age of a construction worker is 47 in Vermont, 46 in Rhode Island, and 44 in Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, while the median age in Rocky Mountain and Midwest states such as Nebraska, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming is 38 or younger.
Construction and building inspectors are typically the oldest workers, with a median age over 50. Construction managers, electricians, cement masons, and concrete finishers have median ages between 40 and 45, while helpers, roofers, and insulation workers have a median age under 40.
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