Education:
90%
Bachelor's Degree
5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Construction Manager
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Job Outlook:
Faster than average
Education:
Bachelor's degree
Salary
High:
$168,390.00
Average:
$112,790.00
Hourly
Average:
$54.22
What they do:
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.
On the job, you would:
- Plan, schedule, or coordinate construction project activities to meet deadlines.
- 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.
Important Qualities
Analytical skills. Construction managers must be able to plan strategies, investigate project cost variances, and solve problems over the course of a project.
Business skills. Construction managers need to prepare and follow project budgets, hire and manage staff, and coordinate with other workers and managers. Self-employed construction managers must generate their own business opportunities and be proactive in finding new clients.
Communication skills. Construction managers must be able to clearly convey information orally and in writing. In addition to talking with owners and clients, managers must give clear orders and explain complex information to construction workers and discuss technical details with inspectors and other specialists, such as engineers.
Decision-making skills. Construction managers need to choose personnel and subcontractors for specific tasks and jobs. They also must make myriad judgment calls about projects to ensure that they adhere to deadlines and budgets.
Leadership skills. Construction managers must effectively delegate tasks to construction workers, subcontractors, and other lower level managers to ensure that projects are completed accurately and on time.
Technical skills. Construction managers must have an applied knowledge of concepts and practices common in the industry, such as construction technologies, contracts, and technical drawings.
Personality
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
|---|---|---|---|
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91% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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89% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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88% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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85% | Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. | |
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83% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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83% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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81% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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80% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
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79% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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75% | Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. | |
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74% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
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73% | Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. | |
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67% | Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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100% | Enterprising - Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law. | |
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78% | Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services. | |
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61% | Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
|---|---|---|---|
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81% | Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. | |
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78% | Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy. | |
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72% | Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. | |
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72% | Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. | |
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67% | Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. | |
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61% | Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status. |
Aptitude
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
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78% | Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). | |
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75% | Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem. | |
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72% | Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. | |
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72% | Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. | |
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72% | Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). | |
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72% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. | |
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72% | Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. | |
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72% | Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged. | |
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69% | Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). | |
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69% | Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. | |
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66% | Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. | |
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66% | Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
Job Details
Responsibilities
Develop sustainable organizational policies or practices.
Prepare operational budgets for green energy or other green operations.
Implement organizational process or policy changes.
Develop environmental remediation or protection plans.
Train employees on environmental awareness, conservation, or safety topics.
Evaluate green operations or programs for compliance with standards or regulations.
Estimate green project costs.
Analyze data to determine project feasibility.
Recruit personnel.
Develop operating strategies, plans, or procedures.
Manage construction activities.
Investigate industrial or transportation accidents.
Determine operational compliance with regulations or standards.
Prepare forms or applications.
Negotiate project specifications.
Manage construction activities.
Communicate organizational policies and procedures.
Communicate organizational information to customers or other stakeholders.
Prepare forms or applications.
Model operational processes.
Analyze forecasting data to improve business decisions.
Manage construction activities.
Supervise employees.
Negotiate project specifications.
Manage construction activities.
Direct facility maintenance or repair activities.
Estimate labor requirements.
Determine operational compliance with regulations or standards.
Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
Purchase materials, equipment, or other resources.
Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets.
Implement organizational process or policy changes.
Develop procedures to evaluate organizational activities.
Purchase materials, equipment, or other resources.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
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99% | Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job? | |
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98% | Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? | |
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95% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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91% | Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? | |
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90% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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89% | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? | |
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89% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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86% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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84% | Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? | |
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84% | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? | |
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83% | Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? | |
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81% | Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? | |
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77% | Outdoors, Exposed to Weather - How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions? | |
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77% | Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? | |
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76% | Letters and Memos - How often does the job require written letters and memos? | |
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75% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
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71% | Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job? | |
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71% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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70% | Frequency of Conflict Situations - How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job? | |
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69% | In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment - How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)? | |
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69% | Level of Competition - To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures? | |
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93% | Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
|---|---|---|---|
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94% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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91% | Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. | |
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90% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. | |
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89% | Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks. | |
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88% | Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. | |
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88% | Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. | |
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86% | Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. | |
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86% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. | |
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84% | Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members. | |
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82% | Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money. | |
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81% | Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. | |
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81% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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79% | Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. | |
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76% | Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. | |
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76% | Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. | |
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76% | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. | |
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75% | Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. | |
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74% | Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. | |
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74% | Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. | |
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74% | Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity. | |
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70% | Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance. | |
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70% | Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. | |
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69% | Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them. | |
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69% | Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. | |
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66% | Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork. |
What Construction Managers Do
Construction managers often collaborate with engineers and architects.
Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise construction projects from start to finish.
Duties
Construction managers typically do the following:
- Prepare cost estimates, budgets, and work timetables
- Interpret and explain contracts and technical information to other professionals
- Collaborate with architects, engineers, and other construction specialists
- Select subcontractors and schedule and coordinate their activities
- Monitor projects and report progress and budget matters to the construction firm and clients
- Respond to work delays, emergencies, and other problems with the project
- Ensure that the project complies with legal requirements, such building and safety codes
Construction managers, often called general contractors or project managers, coordinate and supervise a variety of projects, including building public, residential, commercial, and industrial structures as well as roads and bridges. Either a general contractor or a construction manager oversees the construction phase of a project, including personnel, but a construction manager may also consult with the client during the design phase to help refine construction plans and control costs.
These managers coordinate construction processes so that projects meet design specifications and are completed on time within budget. Some construction managers are responsible for several projects—for example, building multiple homes—at once.
Construction managers work closely with other building specialists, such as architects, civil engineers, and tradesworkers, including stonemasons, electricians, and carpenters. Depending on the project, construction managers may interact with lawyers or government officials. For example, when installing municipal sidewalks, construction managers may confer with city inspectors to ensure that the project meets required material specifications.
For large building projects, such as industrial complexes, a top-level construction manager may hire other managers for different aspects of the project. Each construction manager then oversees completion of a specific phase, such as structural foundation or electrical work, and the top-level manager coordinates with the managers to complete the entire project.
To maximize efficiency, construction managers often perform the tasks of a cost estimator. They use cost-estimating and planning software to allocate time and money for scheduling project deadlines.
Work Environment
Construction managers held about 505,800 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of construction managers were as follows:
| Self-employed workers | 39% |
| Specialty trade contractors | 16 |
| Nonresidential building construction | 15 |
| Residential building construction | 11 |
| Heavy and civil engineering construction | 7 |
Construction managers may have a main office but spend most of their time in a field office onsite, where they monitor projects and make decisions about construction activities. Those who manage multiple projects must visit the different worksites, which may require travelling out of state or being away from home for extended periods.
Work Schedules
Most construction managers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Construction managers’ work schedules may vary. They may need to work extra hours to meet deadlines, and they may have to be on call 24 hours a day to respond to project emergencies.
Getting Started
How to Become a Construction Manager
New construction managers are typically hired as assistants and work under the guidance of an experienced manager.
Construction managers typically need a bachelor’s degree, and they learn management techniques through on-the-job training. Large construction firms may prefer to hire candidates who have both construction experience and a bachelor’s degree in a construction-related field. Firms might hire as managers those who have a high school diploma and many years of experience in a construction trade; however, these people may be more likely to work as self-employed general contractors than to be hired as construction managers.
Education
Construction managers typically need a bachelor's degree in construction, business, engineering, or a related field.
Bachelor’s degree programs in construction-related majors often include courses in project control and management, design, construction methods and materials, and cost estimation. Courses in business, communications, and mathematics are also helpful.
Some construction managers earn an associate’s degree in construction management or construction technology. An associate’s degree combined with work experience may be typical for managers who supervise small projects.
Candidates who have a high school diploma and several years of relevant work experience may qualify to become construction managers. However, these people may be more likely to work as self-employed general contractors than to be hired as construction managers.
Training
Newly hired construction managers typically work under the guidance of an experienced manager for up to 1 year. Depending on the firm, however, this on-the-job training may last for several years.
Work Experience in a Related Occupation
Construction experience is important for these managers, especially for ones who do not have a bachelor’s degree. For construction managers to qualify for jobs solely through experience, they must have worked many years in carpentry, masonry, or other construction specialties.
College students who participate in internships and cooperative education programs may gain experience through such programs.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Some states require construction managers to be licensed. For more information, contact your state licensing board.
Professional certification, although not required, demonstrates a particular level of knowledge and experience.
The Construction Management Association of America awards the Certified Construction Manager (CCM) credential to workers who have the required experience and who pass a technical exam. Candidates complete a self-study course that covers topics related to construction managers, including the manager’s role, legal issues, and risk allocation.
The American Institute of Constructors awards the Associate Constructor (AC) and Certified Professional Constructor (CPC) credential to candidates who meet its requirements, which include passing construction exams.
Job Outlook
Employment of construction managers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 38,700 openings for construction managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Construction managers are expected to be needed as overall construction activity expands. Over the projections decade, population and business growth will result in the construction of new residences, office buildings, retail outlets, hospitals, schools, restaurants, and other structures. Also, the need to improve portions of the national infrastructure may spur employment growth as roads, bridges, and sewer pipe systems are upgraded or replaced.
In addition, a continuing emphasis on retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient should create jobs for general contractors, who are more likely to manage the renovation and upgrading of buildings than to oversee new large-scale construction projects.
Construction processes and building technology are becoming more complex, requiring greater oversight and spurring demand for specialized management personnel even as technology makes construction managers more productive.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about construction manager certification, visit
American Institute of Constructors
For more information about construction management and construction manager certification, visit
Construction Management Association of America
For more information on accredited construction science and management educational programs, visit
American Council for Construction Education
For information about opportunities for military veterans, visit
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of construction managers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Architects |
Architects plan and design houses, factories, office buildings, and other structures. |
Bachelor's degree | $82,840 |
|
Architectural and Engineering Managers |
Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in the fields of architecture and engineering. |
Bachelor's degree | $159,920 |
|
Civil Engineers |
Civil engineers plan, design, and supervise the construction and maintenance of building and infrastructure projects. |
Bachelor's degree | $89,940 |
|
Cost Estimators |
Cost estimators collect and analyze data in order to assess the time, money, materials, and labor required to make a product or provide a service. |
Bachelor's degree | $71,200 |
|
Landscape Architects |
Landscape architects design parks and other outdoor spaces. |
Bachelor's degree | $73,210 |
|
Project Management Specialists |
Project management specialists coordinate the budget, schedule, staffing, and other details of a project. |
Bachelor's degree | $95,370 |