City of Chicago / Department of Water Management / Construction Laborer
Job-title file
Operate, maintain, and repair equipment or facilities, performing skilled hands-on work.
407 employees hold this title in Department of Water Management. Median total compensation for the role is $106,912, below the department median of $108,576.
What the records show
How total compensation varies among the 407 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.
Compared with the local labor market
Across all employers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area, the median wage for Construction Laborers — about 26,690 people — is $60,890. Department of Water Management pays a median base salary of $106,912 for this role, 76% above that figure — above the 90th percentile of local pay for the occupation.
The bar is the range of annual wages for Construction Laborers across every employer in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Department of Water Management’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.
And across the country
Nationwide, the median wage for Construction Laborers — about 1,096,780 people — is $47,120. Department of Water Management’s median base salary is 127% above that national figure, above the 90th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.
Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN range relative to the national one.
Median total compensation for this role at Department of Water Management is $106,912, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.
Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.
Compare departments
Construction Laborer is held in 3 City of Chicago departments. In Department of Water Management, the median of $106,912 ranks #1 of 3.
Median total compensation for the Construction Laborer role in other City of Chicagodepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.
Compare jurisdictions
This role is reported in 2 jurisdictions. In City of Chicago, the median of $106,912 ranks #2 of 2. See Construction Laborer across all of City of Chicago →
Median total compensation for comparable Construction Laborerroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.
Record list
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Construction Laborer/Department of Water Management
Jason Jenkins is a Construction Laborer at Department of Water Management. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $106,912 (paid $51/hour).
Construction Laborer/Department of Water Management
At Department of Water Management, Frank Ganshirt serves as a Construction Laborer. They work full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $106,912 (paid $51/hour).
Construction Laborer/Department of Water Management
Daniel Thomas works as a Construction Laborer for Department of Water Management. Their status is full-time. Daniel earned $106,912 in 2026 (paid $51/hour).
Construction Laborer/Department of Water Management
Devon Ward holds the role of Construction Laborer at Department of Water Management. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $106,912 (paid $51/hour).
Construction Laborer/Department of Water Management
Eva Orozco works as a Construction Laborer for Department of Water Management. Their status is full-time. Eva earned $106,912 in 2026 (paid $51/hour).
Construction Laborer/Department of Water Management
Martin Casas Jr holds the role of Construction Laborer at Department of Water Management. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $106,912 (paid $51/hour).
Construction Laborer/Department of Water Management
At Department of Water Management, Dewayne Hickman serves as a Construction Laborer. They work full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $106,912 (paid $51/hour).