A previous post examined the median age of the overall construction workforce and how it compares with workers in all industries. This analysis takes a closer look at workers in construction trades, where the median ages differ considerably across occupations.
According to NAHB analysis of the 2024 American Community Survey (PUMS data), the median age of construction trades workers is 40, two years younger than the median age of all workers employed in the construction industry. However, median age varies substantially across individual construction trades. Construction and building inspectors and plasterers and stucco masons share the highest median age at 46. Highway maintenance workers follow closely, with a median age of 45, while carpet, floor and tile installers and finishers have a median age of 44. At the younger end of the spectrum, roofers have a median age of 35, followed by pipelayers at 34, and helpers in construction trades at 32. With a median age of just 27, solar photovoltaic installers represent the youngest occupational group among the construction trades.
This wide variation in the median age shows that the workforce aging is not uniform across construction trades. Of the 27 construction trades analyzed, 12 have a median age above the overall median of 40 for construction trades workers. While some occupations have a relatively young workforce, others have a larger concentration of older workers.
