Commercial and Institutional Building Construction — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the commercial and institutional building construction industry earns $96,510 per year ($46.40/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Commercial and Institutional Building Construction Workers Earn?
At $96,510/year (equivalent to $46.40/hour for a full-time worker), commercial and institutional building construction wages are significantly above the national average of ~$65,000.
Higher wages in this industry typically reflect specialized skills, professional certifications, or technical expertise required for the work. Employers competing for talent in this space face elevated labor costs.
The typical commercial and institutional building construction business employs 13 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average commercial and institutional building construction business generating $4.6M/year with 13 employees at $96,510 each, total payroll represents roughly 27.1% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a commercial and institutional building constructionbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $125,463/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 13 employees = ~$1,254,630/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $46.40/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $4.6M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Commercial and Institutional Building Construction revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do commercial and institutional building construction employees make?
- The average commercial and institutional building construction employee earns $96,510 per year, which is equivalent to $46.40/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is above the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the commercial and institutional building construction industry?
- The commercial and institutional building construction industry employs 721,408 workers across 56,412 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 13 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).