237/Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
1.05M
employees, 2023
1.05M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 38,612 US Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction business locations employed 1.05 million people and paid $96.0 billion in annual payroll, $91,313 per employee on average. Employment was up 3.8% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
38,612
+1.0% vs 2022
Employees
1,051,261
+3.8% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$96.0B
+9.3% vs 2022
Average pay
$91,313
+5.3% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 4,468 | 178,438 | $81,778 | 1.49% |
| California | 3,077 | 80,469 | $114,384 | 0.49% |
| Florida | 2,737 | 63,325 | $71,777 | 0.63% |
| Louisiana | 783 | 59,988 | $79,124 | 3.53% |
| North Carolina | 1,542 | 39,662 | $77,292 | 0.93% |
| Colorado | 933 | 36,242 | $78,152 | 1.41% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,142 | 34,363 | $92,925 | 0.60% |
| Georgia | 1,305 | 31,216 | $77,858 | 0.71% |
| New York | 1,330 | 30,029 | $126,566 | 0.34% |
| Illinois | 1,207 | 29,689 | $114,689 | 0.52% |
| Virginia | 1,179 | 28,607 | $89,293 | 0.80% |
| Minnesota | 913 | 28,303 | $119,964 | 1.01% |
| Ohio | 1,039 | 25,579 | $97,281 | 0.50% |
| Arizona | 707 | 24,892 | $86,767 | 0.86% |
| Washington | 909 | 23,212 | $110,273 | 0.76% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 996 | 60,061 | $87,944 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,226 | 35,872 | $130,553 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 166 | 34,808 | $73,764 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 936 | 32,559 | $80,028 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 326 | 22,108 | $81,563 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 741 | 21,386 | $119,408 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 694 | 20,770 | $82,246 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 398 | 20,712 | $92,112 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 684 | 20,055 | $123,481 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 387 | 19,604 | $119,875 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 473 | 19,190 | $90,106 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 551 | 17,916 | $99,509 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 473 | 15,523 | $99,385 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 474 | 14,962 | $96,612 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 637 | 14,403 | $78,449 |
Business size
US Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 17,623 | 45.6% |
| 5 to 9 | 6,702 | 17.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 5,307 | 13.7% |
| 20 to 49 | 5,015 | 13.0% |
| 50 to 99 | 2,064 | 5.3% |
| 100 to 249 | 1,296 | 3.4% |
| 250 to 499 | 383 | 1.0% |
| 500 to 999 | 145 | 0.4% |
| 1,000 or more | 77 | 0.2% |
Related industries
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction and the 4 industries directly below it
Part of Construction 23
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2371 | Utility System Construction | 627,151 | $87,180 |
| 2373 | Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 314,940 | $98,566 |
| 2379 | Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 84,360 | $95,317 |
| 2372 | Land Subdivision | 24,810 | $90,096 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction in the US?
1.05 million people worked at 38,612 US Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction business locations in 2023, up 3.8% from 2022. That is 0.75% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction?
$91,313 a year per employee in 2023, from $96.0 billion in annual payroll (up 5.3% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction jobs?
Texas had the most, with 178,438 employees in 2023, followed by California (80,469) and Florida (63,325).
Which metro areas have the most Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction jobs?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (60,061), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (35,872), Baton Rouge, LA (34,808) had the most Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction employees in 2023.
Are most Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction businesses small?
76.7% of the 38,612 Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 222 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.