Salary and Outlook
According to the US Department of Labor, there are 478,500 people employed as construction managers in
the United States.
The median annual salary is $98,890.
Entry level employees earn approximately $60,050 per year and senior employees earn approximately $163,800
per year.
Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.
Job Duties
- Prepare and submit budget estimates, progress reports, or cost tracking reports.
- Interpret and explain plans and contract terms to representatives of the owner or developer, including administrative staff, workers, or clients.
- Direct and supervise construction or related workers.
- Prepare contracts or negotiate revisions to contractual agreements with architects, consultants, clients, suppliers, or subcontractors.
- Confer with supervisory personnel, owners, contractors, or design professionals to discuss and resolve matters, such as work procedures, complaints, or construction problems.
- Plan, organize, or direct activities concerned with the construction or maintenance of structures, facilities, or systems.
- Study job specifications to determine appropriate construction methods.
- Inspect or review projects to monitor compliance with building and safety codes or other regulations.
- Investigate damage, accidents, or delays at construction sites to ensure that proper construction procedures are being followed.
- Implement new or modified plans in response to delays, bad weather, or construction site emergencies.
- Develop or implement quality control programs.
- Requisition supplies or materials to complete construction projects.
- Determine labor requirements for dispatching workers to construction sites.
- Contract or oversee craft work, such as painting or plumbing.
- Inspect or review projects to monitor compliance with environmental regulations.
- Perform, or contract others to perform, pre-building assessments, such as conceptual cost estimating, rough order of magnitude estimating, feasibility, or energy efficiency, environmental, and sustainability assessments.
- Develop or implement environmental protection programs.
- Apply for and obtain all necessary permits or licenses.
- Evaluate construction methods and determine cost-effectiveness of plans, using computer models.
- Apply green building strategies to reduce energy costs or minimize carbon output or other sources of harm to the environment.
- Plan, schedule, or coordinate construction project activities to meet deadlines.
- Develop construction budgets to compare green and non-green construction alternatives, in terms of short-term costs, long-term costs, or environmental impacts.
- Implement training programs on environmentally responsible building topics to update employee skills and knowledge.
- Direct acquisition of land for construction projects.
- Secure third-party verification from sources, such as Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED), to ensure responsible design and building activities or to achieve favorable LEED ratings for building projects.