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Salary Guides / California
Construction Helper Salary in California
Compare California construction helper pay ranges and compensation factors to evaluate written offers for your skills and experience.
What Construction Helpers Earn in California
California's other construction-trade helpers earn $18.35–$32.64/hr across the current 10th–90th percentiles, or $38,160–$67,890 annually. The median is $23.29/hr, or $48,430/year. This BLS occupation excludes several separately classified trade-helper specialties. Match the actual tasks before applying the figures to an offer. These employee estimates do not guarantee starting pay, year-round hours, or automatic progression into a qualified trade. Compare benefits, expenses, hours, and responsibilities alongside the advertised gross hourly wage.
Hourly rates by level in California
What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.
Where do you stand?
Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other construction helpers in California.
What are you making?
Type your hourly rate. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere — it stays in your browser.
Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.
You're right around the middle
$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.
Calculate pay with extra credentials
Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.
1Your level
2Certifications you hold
3Shift & work type
4Overtime & per diem
An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.
Who pays the most in California
The cards contrast public support roles, specialty contractors and commercial building crews. National medians for other construction helpers provide context for California offers. They do not rank California sectors or represent every specialized trade-helper wage.
Local Government
Local-government employment provides another construction-support setting. Compare the advertised duties, eligibility, schedule, and benefits with private offers. This national helper benchmark does not establish your state's public-sector pay schedule or an individual vacancy's rate. Ask whether the advertised position is temporary or permanent.
Other Specialty Trade Contractors
Specialty contractors undertake particular construction activities rather than managing whole projects. Compare the supported trade, supervision, learning opportunities, travel, expected hours, and benefits before assuming a general helper benchmark matches the duties of your assignment.
Which states pay construction helpers the most
Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.
What each certification is worth
Sorted by payback speed.
| Certification | Rate bump | Extra / year | Cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forklift Operator Certification | +$0.75 | $1,560 | $132 | 4 weeks |
| Fall Protection Competent Person | +$0.75 | $1,560 | $186 | 6 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.38 | $790 | $103 | 7 weeks |
| NCCER Core/Level 1 | +$0.75 | $1,560 | $230 |
What overtime actually adds
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $23.29/hr.
Questions workers ask
Does paying per piece cover all of a helper's work time?▾
What if I report but receive less than half my shift?▾
Must California helpers provide their own required tools?▾
See Open Construction Helper Jobs in California
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
Current BLS California wages for Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other, SOC 47-3019; separately classified carpenter, electrician, plumber, and other specific trade helpers are excluded.
Last updated October 21, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.