Analyzing NAICS 236 Building Construction: BLS Guide for GCs
For general contractors and estimators preparing commercial and residential bids, tracking federal industry metrics provides an objective baseline for market staffing and direct payroll expenses. The subsector designated as North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 236 covers establishments primarily responsible for the construction of buildings, encompassing both new work, additions, alterations, and maintenance or repairs. This step-by-step walkthrough reviews the latest numbers published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Construction of Buildings: NAICS 236 to help contractors benchmark labor hours, occupational wages, and project risk.
Step 1: Understand Sector Scope and Establishment Counts
The first step in evaluating building construction data is defining what falls under NAICS 236. The subsector consists of two main industry groups: Residential Building Construction (NAICS 2361) and Nonresidential Building Construction (NAICS 2362). In addition to conventional site construction, it includes temporary building assembly as well as the on-site assembly of precut, panelized, and prefabricated buildings. Establishments in NAICS 236 may subcontract part or all of their production work to specialty trade contractors.
According to the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages reported in the BLS release, the subsector encompasses a substantial employer footprint across the country:
- Private Industry Establishments: Counted at 291,597 in the 2nd quarter of 2025; 293,910 in the 3rd quarter of 2025; 295,831 in the 4th quarter of 2025; and a preliminary 295,409 in the 1st quarter of 2026.
- Local Government Establishments: Rose from 115 in the 2nd quarter of 2025 to 117 in the 3rd quarter, 120 in the 4th quarter, and reached a preliminary 123 in the 1st quarter of 2026.
- State Government Establishments: Held at 11 across the final three quarters of 2025 before recording a preliminary 10 in the 1st quarter of 2026.
Step 2: Track Industry Headcount and Production Staffing
Next, estimators need to assess the overall labor pool. Current Employment Statistics track both overall headcount and the specific share working in production or nonsupervisory roles. Seasonally adjusted total employment across all employees in NAICS 236 expanded through 2026:
- June 2026: 1,862.0 thousand employees
- July 2026: 1,864.4 thousand employees
- August 2026: 1,869.2 thousand employees (preliminary)
- September 2026: 1,873.4 thousand employees (preliminary)
When isolating production and nonsupervisory employees, the figures stood at 1,187.1 thousand in June 2026, 1,189.2 thousand in July 2026, and a preliminary 1,185.2 thousand in August 2026. Factoring field staffing proportions into your general conditions estimating ensures field supervision and production capacity align with real industry ratios.
Step 3: Benchmark Industry-Wide Earnings and Hours
Direct payroll calculations require verifying general hourly rates and standard working schedules. For all employees in NAICS 236, average hourly earnings climbed steadily during the middle of 2026: $43.54 in May, $43.44 in June, $43.88 in July, and a preliminary $44.24 in August 2026. Average weekly hours for all employees held at 38.4 hours in May, June, and July, before reaching a preliminary 38.9 hours in August 2026.
Production and nonsupervisory workers exhibited slightly higher weekly hours alongside distinct earnings:
- May 2026: $38.34 average hourly earnings, 39.1 average weekly hours
- June 2026: $38.38 average hourly earnings, 39.3 average weekly hours
- July 2026: $38.78 average hourly earnings, 39.4 average weekly hours
- August 2026 (preliminary): $38.88 average hourly earnings, 39.8 average weekly hours
Step 4: Audit Key Occupation Wages and Overhead Roles
General contractors manage distinct trades and administrative positions that drive both job cost and general overhead. Based on 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics published on the BLS Construction of Buildings page, contractors can review specific mean and median payroll figures across primary roles:
- Carpenters: 312,950 employed. Median hourly wage of $29.60 ($61,570 annual median); mean hourly wage of $32.00 ($66,550 annual mean).
- Construction Laborers: 271,860 employed. Median hourly wage of $22.97 ($47,770 annual median); mean hourly wage of $25.08 ($52,160 annual mean).
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers: 178,260 employed. Median hourly wage of $38.25 ($79,560 annual median); mean hourly wage of $41.05 ($85,390 annual mean).
- Construction Managers: 149,040 employed. Median hourly wage of $53.23 ($110,710 annual median); mean hourly wage of $59.07 ($122,870 annual mean).
- Cost Estimators: 35,060 employed. Median hourly wage of $40.68 ($84,610 annual median); mean hourly wage of $44.83 ($93,240 annual mean).
Combining these wage baselines with your true labor burden rate provides an accurate picture of total employee costs before submitting bids.
Step 5: Incorporate Safety and Recordable Incident Benchmarks
The final step in reviewing the data is checking injury incidence to evaluate jobsite risk management. In NAICS 236, workplace fatalities were recorded at 212 in 2021 and 220 in 2022 (with a series break starting in 2023 due to NAICS 2022 updates).
For nonfatal incidents, the 2024 rate of total recordable injury and illness cases was 2.2 per 100 full-time workers. When broken down further, cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer stood at 1.3 per 100 workers. Cases involving days away from work specifically registered at 0.9, while cases involving days of job transfer or restriction accounted for 0.4 per 100 full-time workers.
Sources
Published October 29, 2026. No affiliate links on this page. Facts come from the sources linked above; check them for updates.