How much do construction managers make?

Construction Manager salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Construction Managers (SOC 11-9021) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Construction managers in the US earned a median of $114,990 a year ($55.28 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $88,550 to $151,640.

Median annual pay: $114,990; Mean $124,360
Median hourly pay: $55.28; Mean $59.79
Typical range (10th–90th): $69.7K–$189K; $69,690 to $189,440
US jobs: 380,360; +9.1% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a construction manager: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Washington

Construction Manager pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$69,690
25th percentile$88,550
Median$114,990
75th percentile$151,640
90th percentile$189,440

Half of all construction managers earned more than $114,990 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $69,690; the top 10% made over $189,440. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $88,550 to $151,640.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$69,690	$33.50	$5,808
25th	$88,550	$42.57	$7,379
Median (50th)	$114,990	$55.28	$9,583
75th	$151,640	$72.91	$12,637
90th	$189,440	$91.08	$15,787
Mean (average)	$124,360	$59.79	$10,363

Construction Manager salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for construction managers by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. New York $155,360
2. Washington $155,070
3. Massachusetts $145,010
4. Alaska $139,190
5. New Jersey $138,230

Lowest-paying states

51. Arkansas $86,310
50. Wyoming $92,320
49. West Virginia $95,740
48. Alabama $96,960
47. Kentucky $97,020

Best after cost of living: Washington. Its median of $155,070 is worth about $144,908 at national-average prices, more than in New York once prices are counted.


Alabama	$96,960	48	$109,161	42	$46.61	8,560	4.05
Alaska	$139,190	4	$135,982	4	$66.92	1,720	5.29
Arizona	$114,680	20	$113,909	30	$55.14	9,910	3.06
Arkansas	$86,310	51	$99,279	51	$41.50	2,280	1.75
California	$133,160	6	$120,267	18	$64.02	34,750	1.91
Colorado	$124,830	14	$121,133	16	$60.02	12,550	4.37
Connecticut	$125,190	13	$120,828	17	$60.19	3,620	2.14
Delaware	$132,150	7	$132,404	7	$63.53	610	1.25
District of Columbia	$126,430	12	$115,040	25	$60.78	1,250	1.78
Florida	$113,130	22	$109,395	40	$54.39	34,010	3.42
Georgia	$110,810	24	$115,076	24	$53.27	10,740	2.20
Hawaii	$128,910	10	$117,243	21	$61.98	2,890	4.61
Idaho	$104,600	34	$109,536	39	$50.29	2,280	2.66
Illinois	$109,160	28	$109,206	41	$52.48	19,160	3.14
Indiana	$106,390	32	$113,995	29	$51.15	5,450	1.70
Iowa	$99,280	46	$113,124	33	$47.73	3,070	1.97
Kansas	$120,810	16	$134,132	5	$58.08	2,960	2.06
Kentucky	$97,020	47	$107,610	43	$46.64	2,990	1.49
Louisiana	$110,010	27	$124,718	11	$52.89	5,530	2.86
Maine	$110,070	26	$113,416	31	$52.92	1,460	2.27
Maryland	$128,330	11	$122,267	14	$61.70	5,770	2.09
Massachusetts	$145,010	3	$137,116	3	$69.71	9,870	2.71
Michigan	$103,230	39	$107,289	44	$49.63	9,620	2.18
Minnesota	$123,400	15	$125,125	10	$59.33	5,800	1.97
Mississippi	$99,520	45	$114,453	28	$47.85	1,640	1.41
Missouri	$112,230	23	$123,578	13	$53.96	3,680	1.25
Montana	$104,480	36	$110,391	37	$50.23	2,140	4.17
Nebraska	$100,820	43	$111,894	35	$48.47	3,430	3.35
Nevada	$115,250	19	$115,274	23	$55.41	4,460	2.88
New Hampshire	$129,260	9	$124,092	12	$62.15	660	0.96
New Jersey	$138,230	5	$127,044	9	$66.46	6,910	1.61
New Mexico	$104,550	35	$113,380	32	$50.26	2,480	2.85
New York	$155,360	1	$143,957	2	$74.69	10,280	1.06
North Carolina	$106,640	31	$113,055	34	$51.27	16,310	3.30
North Dakota	$102,070	40	$114,738	26	$49.07	1,450	3.37
Ohio	$101,980	41	$109,923	38	$49.03	16,130	2.91
Oklahoma	$100,690	44	$114,625	27	$48.41	1,980	1.16
Oregon	$131,420	8	$127,147	8	$63.18	4,300	2.18
Pennsylvania	$108,250	29	$110,944	36	$52.04	6,840	1.13
Rhode Island	$103,990	37	$101,672	49	$50.00	450	0.90
South Carolina	$108,110	30	$115,319	22	$51.98	5,620	2.44
South Dakota	$118,380	18	$133,633	6	$56.91	1,070	2.33
Tennessee	$110,200	25	$119,952	19	$52.98	5,860	1.79
Texas	$101,470	42	$104,547	48	$48.78	59,060	4.20
Utah	$105,200	33	$106,409	46	$50.58	—	—
Vermont	$103,450	38	$105,606	47	$49.74	930	3.07
Virginia	$119,110	17	$117,809	20	$57.26	7,290	1.77
Washington	$155,070	2	$144,908	1	$74.55	6,010	1.69
West Virginia	$95,740	49	$106,976	45	$46.03	600	0.86
Wisconsin	$114,190	21	$121,356	15	$54.90	6,080	2.06
Wyoming	$92,320	50	$99,600	50	$44.39	—	—

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for construction managers

378 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$166,030	$143,608	5,160
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$163,040	$147,650	1,850
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	$159,860	$156,048	110
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$159,430	$143,459	4,010
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$158,000	$140,366	12,120
Bellingham, WA	$156,580	$151,528	210
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$156,470	$144,524	7,570
Longview-Kelso, WA	$154,300	$158,183	60
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY	$152,100	$139,003	310
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA	$150,780	$145,183	60

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	17,110	$103,550	$100,446
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	16,500	$103,530	$104,969
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	13,850	$117,280	$113,210
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	12,120	$158,000	$140,366
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	10,120	$131,680	$115,950
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	8,170	$118,350	$114,551
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	7,570	$156,470	$144,524
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	7,470	$119,590	$119,521
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	7,250	$128,850	$121,807
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	6,630	$129,650	$119,072

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves construction manager pay: employers and settings

The kind of building matters most. Nonresidential building construction, the largest employer in our data, pays construction managers a median of $126,690 and utility system construction pays $120,440. Building equipment contractors pay $109,990 and other specialty trade contractors $103,680; foundation, structure and building exterior contractors pay $100,690. Residential building construction pays the least of the big employers at $98,390.

Location is the other big lever. New York leads with a median of $155,360, followed by Washington at $155,070, Massachusetts at $145,010, Alaska at $139,190, and New Jersey at $138,230. The lowest-paying states are West Virginia at $95,740, Wyoming at $92,320, and Arkansas at $86,310. After adjusting for living costs, Washington still comes out on top at $144,908.

Most construction managers work for private firms, at a median of $114,970. State government pays $98,200 and local government $121,390.

The overall range runs from the 10th percentile, $69,690, up to the 90th percentile, $189,440, with the median at $114,990. That spread mixes project size, sector, location and whether someone manages one job or several, not just years in the field. Self-employed general contractors are not counted in these wage figures.

Where construction managers work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Nonresidential Building Construction	24.3%	$126,690
Residential Building Construction	14.8%	$98,390
Building Equipment Contractors	12.5%	$109,990
Utility System Construction	6.5%	$120,440
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors	6.5%	$100,690
Other Specialty Trade Contractors	5.5%	$103,680

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	364,380	$114,970
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	80	$144,210
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	3,240	$98,200
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	12,670	$121,390

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Construction Manager pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$115K $87.4K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $87,400 in 2015 to $114,990 in 2025, up 32% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $118,147 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 3% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What construction managers do

A construction manager runs a building or infrastructure job from the first estimate to the final walkthrough. That can be a hospital wing, a school, a subdivision of houses, a water main replacement or a highway interchange. They price the work, set the schedule, hire and sequence the subcontractors, order materials, and keep the owner informed on cost and progress. Many people search for the role as construction project manager; on a jobsite the same work may fall to a superintendent, site manager or general contractor.

Most of the day is spent in a trailer or field office next to the work, not at headquarters. Construction managers deal with architects, civil engineers, city inspectors, lenders and a crew of trades such as electricians, carpenters and concrete finishers. On large projects a senior manager may oversee several assistant managers, each responsible for one phase like foundations or mechanical systems. Self-employment is common: BLS counts about 38% of these managers as self-employed, many of them running their own contracting businesses.

A typical day

Walk the site each morning to check progress, safety and work quality
Update the project schedule and decide which crew or trade goes where next
Review subcontractor bids, negotiate change orders and sign off on invoices
Track costs against the budget and explain overruns to the owner
Meet with the architect or engineer to sort out conflicts in the drawings
Book inspections and fix anything an inspector flags
Deal with delays from weather, late deliveries or accidents on site

Also called: construction project manager, concrete foreman, construction area manager, construction foreman, construction management supervisor, construction services manager, construction superintendent, general superintendent.

How to become a construction manager

Full guide

Most construction managers earn a four-year bachelor's degree in construction management, construction science or civil engineering, then spend one or more years as an assistant project manager or field engineer before running projects. No national license is required, but some states license contractors, and the CCM credential needs four more years of experience.

Typical time: 5 to 8 years; Fastest: 4 years
Minimum education: Bachelor's degree in construction management, construction science, civil engineering or a related field (some employers hire experienced tradespeople without one)
License: No license for construction managers as employees; some states and cities license general contractors and contracting firms
Typical training cost: $41.3K–$42.3K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a construction manager: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 5 to 8 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $41.3K–$42.3K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $114,990; $64,010 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 36–37%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($64,010 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (5 to 8 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for construction managers

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +9.1%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 609,100; 664,300 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 49,700; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 37.6%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects construction manager jobs to rise 9.1% from 2025 to 2035, from 609,100 to 664,300, compared with 3.5% for all occupations. That works out to about 49,700 openings a year, most of them from managers who retire or change careers.

The drivers are new homes, offices, hospitals and schools for a growing population, plus repair and replacement of roads, bridges and sewer lines. Energy-efficiency retrofits add work for general contractors. BLS also expects construction methods to keep getting more complex, which raises the need for people who can track costs, materials and schedules. Construction is cyclical, so hiring slows when interest rates rise or building permits fall.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Construction Manager salary FAQ

How much do construction managers make an hour?

The median hourly wage for construction managers was $55.28 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33.50 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $91.08. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays construction managers the most?

New York has the highest median pay for construction managers, $155,360 a year, followed by Washington ($155,070) and Massachusetts ($145,010). After adjusting for each state's price level, Washington comes out ahead at about $144,908 in national-average dollars.

Do construction managers make $200,000 a year?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of construction managers earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $114,990, and the top 10% earn more than $189,440. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between a construction manager and a general contractor?

A general contractor is the company or person hired to build the project and who holds the subcontracts. A construction manager is the person who manages the work, and may work for the general contractor, for the owner, or for a firm hired as an adviser. In a construction-manager-at-risk contract, the manager joins during design to help control cost and then builds the project at a guaranteed maximum price.

Is a construction project manager the same as a superintendent?

They overlap but split the work differently. On many commercial jobs the project manager handles the money, contracts, schedule and owner communication, often from an office, while the superintendent runs the site day to day and directs the trades. BLS counts both under the construction manager occupation. Superintendents often come up through a trade; project managers more often start with a construction management degree.

Do construction managers work long hours?

Often, yes. Most work full time and many put in more than 40 hours a week, especially near deadlines or when weather has pushed the schedule back. Some are on call around the clock for site emergencies such as flooding, a crane problem or an injury. Managers who oversee projects in several places may travel and spend stretches away from home.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 11-9021
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (11-9021.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Construction Managers: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Construction Managers (11-9021.00), O*NET OnLine · checked October 28, 2026
Fall 2026 AIC Exams, American Institute of Constructors · checked October 28, 2026
Becoming a CCM, Construction Management Association of America · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) · checked October 28, 2026
American Council for Construction Education, ACCE · checked October 28, 2026
CCM Application Handbook (v4.7, January 2026) and Recertification, Construction Management Certification Institute / CMAA · checked October 28, 2026

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