Cincinnati ranks among top-paying metros for construction workers

Posted September 9, 2020

When it comes to construction worker pay, Cincinnati competes with the best markets in the country, according to Cincinnati Business Courier.

Cincinnati's metro region ranks No. 15 in the U.S. – second in Ohio – according to recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Only Cleveland, at No. 5, is the only Ohio city ranks ahead of the Queen City. To determine which cities and states are the best-paying for construction workers, researchers at Construction Coverage – a review site for construction management software and commercial auto insurance – analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics survey.

To determine the rankings, researchers calculated the adjusted median wage for construction workers by factoring in the relative cost of living. The report also includes the unadjusted median wages of construction workers and all workers as well as the total number of construction workers employed. Topping the list is Chicago, followed by St. Louis and Milwaukee. Texas and Florida metros represent the lowest-paying locations in the country even after adjusting for living costs.

Here's what the data showed for Cincinnati:

• Number of construction workers: 36,770 (3.4% of total employment)
• Median wage for construction workers (unadjusted): $48,460
• Median wage for construction workers (adjusted): $53,844
• Median wage for all workers (unadjusted): $39,620
• Cost of living: 10.0% below average.

Ohio ranks No. 8 among states, with Illinois leading the way. Here's what the data showed for the state of Ohio:

• Median wage for construction workers (unadjusted): $49,240 compared with $47,430 nationwide
• Median wage for construction workers (adjusted): $55,701 compared with $47,430 nationwide
• Median wage for all workers (unadjusted): $35,560 compared with $39,810 nationwide

The data also showed total construction spending in the United States totaled $667.9 billion during the first six months of 2020. Although that represents a 5% increase over the same period in 2019, spending has decreased by about $86 billion since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in February. Since February, the construction industry has lost 444,000 jobs. On a positive note for the industry, total construction employment numbers have experienced a slight uptick in the past three months, following increases in residential building permits and new home sales, two strong indicators of continued growth in construction employment.

Reprinted from Cincinnati Business Courier 9/9/20.