Career Profile: Construction Managers

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.

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