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Construction Worker

Skilled Trades

Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris, and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Architecture & Built Environment

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.
  2. 2Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
  3. 3Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.
  4. 4Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes.
  5. 5Perform site activities required of green certified construction practices, such as implementing waste management procedures, identifying materials for reuse, or installing erosion or sedimentation control mechanisms.
  6. 6Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones.
  7. 7Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment.
  8. 8Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments.
  9. 9Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.
  10. 10Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools.
  11. 11Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.
  12. 12Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures.
  13. 13Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards.
  14. 14Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.
  15. 15Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications.
  16. 16Provide assistance to craft workers, such as carpenters, plasterers, or masons.
  17. 17Spray materials, such as water, sand, steam, vinyl, paint, or stucco, through hoses to clean, coat, or seal surfaces.
  18. 18Raze buildings or salvage useful materials.
  19. 19Mop, brush, or spread paints, cleaning solutions, or other compounds over surfaces to clean them or to provide protection.
  20. 20Position or dismantle forms for pouring concrete, using saws, hammers, nails, or bolts.
  21. 21Grind, scrape, sand, or polish surfaces, such as concrete, marble, terrazzo, or wood flooring, using abrasive tools or machines.
  22. 22Place, consolidate, or protect case-in-place concrete or masonry structures.
  23. 23Mix ingredients to create compounds for covering or cleaning surfaces.
  24. 24Mix, pour, or spread concrete, using portable cement mixers.
  25. 25Operate jackhammers or drills to break up concrete or pavement.
  26. 26Apply caulking compounds by hand or caulking guns to protect against entry of water or air.
  27. 27Tend machines that pump concrete, grout, cement, sand, plaster, or stucco through spray guns for application to ceilings or walls.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • EO
  • Axman
  • Doper
  • Beller
  • Belter
  • Digger
  • Grader
  • Helper
  • Pitman
  • Tagman

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Civil Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Engineering DrawingDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Mechanical Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
PhysicsDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Building and Construction80%

    Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Public Safety and Security63%
  • Mechanical61%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Customer and Personal Service56%
  • Education and Training47%
  • Administration and Management46%

    BusinessEconomics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicNot at all
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Indoors, air-conditionedAlmost never
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingAlmost none

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Construction Laborers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org