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Average Construction Laborer Salary in Brazil for 2026

A construction laborer in Brazil earns about 29,040 BRL a year. That's 71% below the national average of 101,120 BRL.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Brazil sit around 14,620 BRL a year, while the very top stretches to 44,180 BRL. Everything on this page is in Brazilian real (BRL, symbol R$), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Brazil, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.


How much does a construction laborer make in Brazil?

Average salary
29,040 BRL
2,420 BRL per month
Lowest reported
14,620 BRL
1,218 BRL per month
Highest reported
44,180 BRL
3,681 BRL per month

A typical construction laborer working in Brazil brings home around 2,420 BRL a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 14,620 BRL, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 44,180 BRL for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior construction laborer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.


How construction laborer pay ranges in Brazil

A good way to think about salary in Brazil is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all construction laborers in Brazil earn less than 29,540 BRL a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 16,980 BRL (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 34,380 BRL (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of construction laborers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 14,620 BRL. The highest stretch to 44,180 BRL, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

14,620
Low
29,540
Median
44,180
High
16,980
25th
34,380
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in BRL

Construction laborer pay by experience in Brazil

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a construction laborer in Brazil, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical construction laborer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    14,140 BRL
  • 2-5 Years
    +49% from previous
    21,100 BRL
  • 5-10 Years
    +25% from previous
    26,280 BRL
  • 10-15 Years
    +34% from previous
    35,300 BRL
  • 15-20 Years
    +4% from previous
    36,700 BRL
  • 20+ Years
    +5% from previous
    38,620 BRL

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 49%. That is the point at which a construction laborer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.


Construction laborer pay by education in Brazil

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving construction laborer pay in Brazil. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average construction laborer salary in Brazil broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    22,540 BRL
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +70% from previous
    38,260 BRL

Construction laborer gender pay gap in Brazil

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Brazil is no exception. Male construction laborers in Brazil earn an average of 28,720 BRL a year, while female construction laborers earn around 27,380 BRL. That works out to a 5% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Construction Laborer gender pay gap

5%

Men earn this much more than women on average in Brazil.

Men 28,720 BRL
Women 27,380 BRL

Pay raises for a construction laborer in Brazil

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in Brazil sees a raise of about 9% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 6% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in Brazil, the national average raise is around 9% every 16 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in Brazil:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Construction laborer bonus rates in Brazil

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

30%

30% of construction laborers in Brazil reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a construction laborer a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 70% of construction laborers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in Brazil

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Construction laborer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in Brazil is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

7%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Brazil on average.

Public sector 106,500 BRL
Private sector 99,460 BRL

Construction laborer salary by city in Brazil

Construction laborer pay is not even across Brazil. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • Belem
  • Campinas
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Sao Paulo
  • Salvador
  • Fortaleza
  • Brasilia
  • Belo Horizonte
  • Sao Luis
  • Manaus
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
BelemCity32,020 BRL31,520 BRL12,000-47,580 BRL
CampinasCity31,540 BRL30,840 BRL17,020-45,620 BRL
Rio de JaneiroCity31,400 BRL31,520 BRL12,240-48,920 BRL
Sao PauloCity31,340 BRL31,940 BRL16,880-49,360 BRL
SalvadorCity31,180 BRL34,080 BRL15,580-48,940 BRL
FortalezaCity31,080 BRL31,180 BRL14,840-48,160 BRL
BrasiliaCity31,080 BRL27,480 BRL14,140-46,980 BRL
Belo HorizonteCity30,840 BRL30,840 BRL14,920-46,400 BRL
Sao LuisCity30,840 BRL29,540 BRL17,020-45,600 BRL
ManausCity30,700 BRL26,100 BRL16,400-46,840 BRL
TeresinaCity29,040 BRL25,660 BRL12,620-40,600 BRL
RecifeCity28,860 BRL28,660 BRL14,140-46,840 BRL
MaceioCity28,720 BRL30,700 BRL14,620-42,960 BRL
Porto AlegreCity28,680 BRL28,180 BRL16,880-46,720 BRL
AracajuCity27,620 BRL26,400 BRL13,960-44,800 BRL
GoianiaCity27,480 BRL27,480 BRL14,840-44,780 BRL
CuritibaCity27,480 BRL31,660 BRL14,540-46,840 BRL
Vale do AcoCity27,020 BRL23,140 BRL13,900-39,960 BRL
Joao PessoaCity25,720 BRL27,480 BRL11,040-42,040 BRL
LondrinaCity25,440 BRL25,680 BRL13,560-41,660 BRL
NatalCity25,160 BRL29,040 BRL13,700-40,040 BRL
CuiabaCity24,860 BRL24,860 BRL13,540-38,620 BRL
Petrolina and JuazeiroCity24,280 BRL19,980 BRL13,700-34,360 BRL
MaringaCity23,700 BRL25,160 BRL12,620-37,880 BRL
MacapaCity23,700 BRL25,440 BRL12,180-38,620 BRL
SantosCity23,260 BRL22,420 BRL11,360-36,580 BRL
VitoriaCity23,140 BRL26,020 BRL12,180-36,020 BRL


Construction Laborer in Brazil: FAQs

  • How much does a construction laborer make per month in Brazil?

    A construction laborer in Brazil earns about 2,420 BRL a month before tax, based on an annual average of 29,040 BRL.

  • What's the salary range for a construction laborer in Brazil?

    Entry-level construction laborers in Brazil start near 14,620 BRL. Top-end pay reaches around 44,180 BRL. The middle 50% of earners sit between 16,980 and 34,380 BRL.

  • Is the median construction laborer salary in Brazil higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 29,540 BRL, higher than the average of 29,040 BRL. Half of construction laborers in Brazil earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for construction laborers in Brazil?

    Men working as a construction laborer in Brazil earn around 5% more than women on average (28,720 vs 27,380 BRL a year).

  • Do construction laborers in Brazil get bonuses?

    About 30% of construction laborers in Brazil reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do construction laborers earn more in the public or private sector in Brazil?

    In Brazil, the public sector pays a construction laborer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do construction laborers in Brazil get a pay raise?

    A construction laborer in Brazil sees a raise of around 9% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 6% a year.