Construction Managers
Also called Construction Foreman, Construction Manager, Construction Superintendent, or General Superintendent
Updated · Source: O*NET 31.0
What Construction Managers do
You run the building site: the schedule, the budget, the crews, and the thousand small problems that show up before lunch.
Construction managers make buildings happen. You help plan a project, then keep it moving: setting the schedule, estimating costs, ordering the right number of workers for each day, and checking that the work meets building and safety codes (the rules that say how things must be built so they are safe). When something goes wrong, and something usually does, people come to you for the decision.
The job mixes office work with time on site. You write budget estimates, progress reports and emails, and you negotiate contracts with clients, suppliers and subcontractors (outside companies hired for specific parts of the job). Then you put on a hard hat and boots and walk the site to see the work with your own eyes. Some managers specialize in one trade, like carpentry or plumbing.
A day in the life
You start early, often on site, in safety gear. You walk the job with a supervisor, check what got finished yesterday, and spot a wall built in the wrong spot. You call the architect, then the subcontractor, and work out a fix without losing the week. Back at the site office (often a portable trailer parked at the job), you clear email, update the schedule, and put together a cost report for the owner. A delivery is late, so you shift tomorrow's crew to different work. Afternoon brings a meeting with the client about a change to the contract. You spend chunks of the day alone with numbers and plans, and the rest face to face with people who need an answer now.
This could fit you if you…
- ✓Like being the person who decides when a problem stalls everyone
- ✓Enjoy schedules, budgets and numbers as much as being on a site
- ✓Can listen carefully to crews, clients and designers who all want different things
- ✓Stay steady when a deadline is close and something breaks
- ✓Want office work and hands-on work in the same day
You might not like it if you…
- –Dislike carrying the blame when a project runs late or over budget
- –Want to build with your own hands rather than direct other people
- –Struggle with early starts, noise, weather and constant interruptions
- –Prefer a job where the day goes roughly as planned
How people get in
- 1In high school, load up on math, and take shop, technical drawing (drawing plans for buildings) or any building class you can. Summer work with a construction crew teaches you how a site really runs.
- 2Earn a bachelor's degree, the usual way in. Common programs include Construction Management, Construction Engineering Technology, Operations Management and Supervision, or Business Administration and Management.
- 3During college, chase internships or co-op placements (terms where you work for a company as part of your degree). Site experience matters as much as coursework to most employers.
- 4Start in an assistant role or as a field engineer (a junior job on site that tracks measurements, drawings and paperwork for the managers). Many managers started out doing the hands-on work themselves, in a trade like carpentry or plumbing, and moved up.
- 5Expect several months to a year of training on the job after you are hired, often as an assistant to an experienced site manager.
- 6Build the skills people get promoted for: reading drawings and the written instructions that say exactly what materials and methods a job needs, tracking costs, and handling crews and clients without losing your temper.
Who tends to enjoy it
Leading
People who like persuading, selling, starting things, and taking charge.
Organizing
People who like keeping things accurate, orderly, and running on schedule.
Hands-on
People who like building, fixing, working with tools, machines, plants, or animals.
Official task list
Construction Managers plan, direct, or coordinate, usually through subordinate supervisory personnel, activities concerned with the construction and maintenance of structures, facilities, and systems. Participate in the conceptual development of a construction project and oversee its organization, scheduling, budgeting, and implementation. Includes managers in specialized construction fields, such as carpentry or plumbing. (O*NET)
- Inspect or review projects to monitor compliance with building and safety codes or other regulations.
- Develop or implement quality control programs.
- Plan, schedule, or coordinate construction project activities to meet deadlines.
- Prepare and submit budget estimates, progress reports, or cost tracking reports.
- Direct and supervise construction or related workers.
- Determine labor requirements for dispatching workers to construction sites.
- Confer with supervisory personnel, owners, contractors, or design professionals to discuss and resolve matters, such as work procedures, complaints, or construction problems.
- Prepare contracts or negotiate revisions to contractual agreements with architects, consultants, clients, suppliers, or subcontractors.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Complex Problem Solving
What you'll need to know
- Building and Construction
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Customer and Personal Service
How much Construction Managers make
The median pay for Construction Managers in the U.S. is $114,990 a year ($55.28 an hour). Most earn between $69,690 and $189,440. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)
Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in New York ($155,360) and lowest in Puerto Rico ($77,380).
Pay by state and territory
| State | Median pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $96,960 | 8,560 |
| Alaska | $139,190 | 1,720 |
| Arizona | $114,680 | 9,910 |
| Arkansas | $86,310 | 2,280 |
| California | $133,160 | 34,750 |
| Colorado | $124,830 | 12,550 |
| Connecticut | $125,190 | 3,620 |
| Delaware | $132,150 | 610 |
| District of Columbia | $126,430 | 1,250 |
| Florida | $113,130 | 34,010 |
| Georgia | $110,810 | 10,740 |
| Guam | $96,210 | 450 |
| Hawaii | $128,910 | 2,890 |
| Idaho | $104,600 | 2,280 |
| Illinois | $109,160 | 19,160 |
| Indiana | $106,390 | 5,450 |
| Iowa | $99,280 | 3,070 |
| Kansas | $120,810 | 2,960 |
| Kentucky | $97,020 | 2,990 |
| Louisiana | $110,010 | 5,530 |
| Maine | $110,070 | 1,460 |
| Maryland | $128,330 | 5,770 |
| Massachusetts | $145,010 | 9,870 |
| Michigan | $103,230 | 9,620 |
| Minnesota | $123,400 | 5,800 |
| Mississippi | $99,520 | 1,640 |
| Missouri | $112,230 | 3,680 |
| Montana | $104,480 | 2,140 |
| Nebraska | $100,820 | 3,430 |
| Nevada | $115,250 | 4,460 |
| New Hampshire | $129,260 | 660 |
| New Jersey | $138,230 | 6,910 |
| New Mexico | $104,550 | 2,480 |
| New York | $155,360 | 10,280 |
| North Carolina | $106,640 | 16,310 |
| North Dakota | $102,070 | 1,450 |
| Ohio | $101,980 | 16,130 |
| Oklahoma | $100,690 | 1,980 |
| Oregon | $131,420 | 4,300 |
| Pennsylvania | $108,250 | 6,840 |
| Puerto Rico | $77,380 | 670 |
| Rhode Island | $103,990 | 450 |
| South Carolina | $108,110 | 5,620 |
| South Dakota | $118,380 | 1,070 |
| Tennessee | $110,200 | 5,860 |
| Texas | $101,470 | 59,060 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | $89,950 | 60 |
| Utah | $105,200 | — |
| Vermont | $103,450 | 930 |
| Virginia | $119,110 | 7,290 |
| Washington | $155,070 | 6,010 |
| West Virginia | $95,740 | 600 |
| Wisconsin | $114,190 | 6,080 |
| Wyoming | $92,320 | — |
Where to study for this
College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.
- Business Administration and Management 2,431 colleges
- Business / Commerce 948 colleges
- Operations Management and Supervision 240 colleges
- Construction Engineering Technology / Technician 168 colleges
- Construction Management 174 colleges
- Public Works Management 3 colleges
- Construction Project Management 4 colleges
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Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 11-9021.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC 11-9021. Outlook and entry education: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.