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Perform general construction or extraction activities

Work activity · O*NET

Perform general construction or extraction activities is an intermediate work activity in the O*NET database — a concrete task that recurs across many occupations , grouped under Performing General Physical Activities. 53 occupations report doing it as part of their work.

What it involves

The most common detailed activities O*NET records under this category, ranked by how many occupation tasks map to each.

  • Assist skilled construction or extraction personnel
  • Apply adhesives to construction materials
  • Dig holes or trenches
  • Prepare surfaces for finishing
  • Compact materials to create level bases
  • Finish concrete surfaces
  • Pour materials into or on designated areas
  • Spread sand, dirt or other loose materials onto surfaces

How AI is applied to this activity

Microsoft's "Working with AI" study mapped real Bing Copilot conversations to O*NET work activities. The figures below are their measurements for this activity — they describe how AI is used today in one assistant's data, not a forecast that the activity will be automated.

AI completes it successfully 95.0% When Copilot attempts this activity, how often it finishes the task
Scope AI handles 20.0% How much of the activity AI carries within a conversation
Positive user feedback 75.0% Share of interactions users rated positively
How often AI is applied here 23rd pct Percentile across all measured activities by how often AI performs them

Source: Microsoft "Working with AI" (working-with-ai). A high completion rate means AI can assist the activity in isolation — it does not mean an occupation that performs it is being automated, since every job blends many activities.

Detailed work activities

The more granular units of work O*NET groups under this activity, ordered by how many occupations perform them.

Occupations that perform this activity

Ranked by how many of the occupation's tasks map to this activity.

Occupation Tasks
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers 11
Terrazzo Workers and Finishers 9
Segmental Pavers 7
Construction Laborers 6
Tile and Stone Setters 6
Helpers--Carpenters 5
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles 4
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 4
Highway Maintenance Workers 4
Paperhangers 4
Pipelayers 4
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators 4
Roofers 4
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas 4
Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters 3
Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons 3
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators 3
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners 3
Tapers 3
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers 3
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 2
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers 2
Electricians 2
Fence Erectors 2
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators 2
Geothermal Technicians 2
Helpers--Extraction Workers 2
Helpers--Roofers 2
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall 2
Insulation Workers, Mechanical 2
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators 2
Painters, Construction and Maintenance 2
Plasterers and Stucco Masons 2
Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians 2
Stonemasons 2
Carpenters 1
Carpet Installers 1
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment 1
Continuous Mining Machine Operators 1
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas 1

Showing 40 of 53 occupations.

Exposure quadrant: AI task-overlap percentile vs Median pay AI task-overlap (horizontal) versus median pay (vertical), each as a percentile across all scored occupations, for 39 occupations in occupations that perform Perform general construction or extraction activities.. Overlap measures shared tasks with AI, not automation. Lower overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · lower pay Lower overlap · lower pay Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons Helpers--Roofers Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Helpers--Extraction Workers Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Roofers Tapers Construction Laborers Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment Carpenters Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers Geothermal Technicians AI task-overlap percentile → ↑ Median pay
Occupations that perform Perform general construction or extraction activities., by AI task-overlap and median pay

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Perform general construction or extraction activities." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/activities/perform-general-construction-or-extraction-activities

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Perform general construction or extraction activities. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/activities/perform-general-construction-or-extraction-activities

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-perform-general-construction-or-extraction-activities,
  title  = {Perform general construction or extraction activities},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/activities/perform-general-construction-or-extraction-activities}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.