Construction worker

Construction worker

A Carpenter, working on the construction of Douglas Dam in the United States, bores a hole with a hand drill. (June 1942)
Occupation
Occupation type	Vocation
Activity sectors	Construction
Description
Related jobs	Labourer; see Construction trades

A construction worker is a tradesperson, labourer (by tradition considered an unskilled tradesperson), or professional employed in the physical construction of the built environment and its infrastructure.

The term construction worker is a generic term and most construction workers are primarily described by the type of work they perform (their trade). Construction workers may also be colloquially be referred to as "hard hat workers" or "hard hats", as they often wear hardhats for safety.

Construction workers often work under a construction foreman.

While most construction workers learn on the job as an informal apprentice to an experienced tradesman, formal apprenticeship programs are common, particularly in developed countries with trade unions.

The division of labor of construction encompasses a diverse range of skilled and manual labor.

Among the most common construction trades are those of carpenter, electrician, heavy equipment operator, ironworker, laborer, mason, plasterer, plumber, pipefitter, sheet metal worker, steel fixer (also known as a "rodbuster"), and welder.