How much does a fence builder make?
Answer: A typical fence builder in the United States makes $47,980 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 24,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Fence builder pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $35,810 | $47,980 | $70,010 | about 24,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $58,600 | about 1,000 |
| New Jersey | $56,690 | about 910 |
| California | $56,060 | about 3,000 |
| Montana | $55,720 | about 680 |
| Washington | $51,860 | about 1,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, experience, useful credentials, and extra skills can boost pay, and it can differ by state and by employer or construction industry. Special fence jobs and overtime may also change what a worker earns.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a fence builder do?
Erect and repair fences and fence gates, using hand and power tools.
What's a typical day like?
A fence builder measures and marks the line, checks for buried cables or pipes, then digs postholes and sets straight posts with a level. The crew pours concrete, adds rails or wire, and hangs gates, often working outdoors.
How to get this job
In the U.S., people often start around age 18, after high school or a GED, joining a fence crew to learn on the job; training takes days to about a year. A registered Fence Erector apprenticeship is another route.
High school plus some training (preparation level 2 of 5)
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized.
Did you know?
O*NET lists blasting rocky ground with dynamite to help dig postholes as a supplemental task for U.S. fence erectors.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Construction and Extraction jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/47-4031.00
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes474031.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- call811.com/
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY