Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Construction Foreman
- Construction Manager
- Construction Superintendent
- General Superintendent
Alternate Job Titles
- Bridges and Buildings Supervisor
- Commercial Construction Project Manager
- Commercial Construction Superintendent
- Commercial Superintendent
- Concrete Foreman
- Construction Area Manager
- Construction Coordinator
- Construction Director
- Construction Foreman
- Construction Management Supervisor
- Construction Manager
- Construction Project Manager
- Construction Services Manager
- Construction Superintendent
- Electrical Superintendent
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
Emerging Responsibilities
As this field evolves, you may also:
- Direct how drone technology is used for site inspections and progress monitoring, ensuring accurate and timely project completion.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Building and Construction
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
- Economics and Accounting
- Public Safety and Security
- Personnel and Human Resources
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Complex Problem Solving
- Time Management
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Comprehension
- Information Ordering
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Near Vision
- Visualization
- Speech Clarity
- Inductive Reasoning
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Leadership Orientation
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Attention to Detail
- Perseverance
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Working Conditions
- Independence
- Achievement
- Support
- Relationships
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 4 years, up to and including 10 years
Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Autodesk Revit
- Google Docs
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
Tools & Equipment
- DroneDeploy
- Fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles UAV
- Gas detection sensors
- Laptop computers
- Large-format scanners
- Laser imaging detection and ranging LIDAR systems
- Lasers
- Levels
- Multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles UAV
- Personal computers
- Pocket personal computers PC
- RGB cameras
- Thermal imaging cameras
- Transit levels
Work Environment
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $65,160 |
| Median | $106,980 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $176,990 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 348,330
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Civil Engineers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $99,590
Solar Energy Installation Managers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $78,690
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Median Salary: $64,200
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Median Salary: $78,690
Construction and Building Inspectors
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $72,120
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.