Construction Managers Salary: $139,978 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 348,330 construction managers nationally earn a mean of $139,978. Projections imply about 3.1% annual growth; much hiring sits in construction.
Key Statistics
Construction Managers: what the data shows
Common questions about construction managers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a construction managers?
Construction Managers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 11-9021.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 348,330 workers.
What does a construction managers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Scheduling Work and Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others, Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a construction managers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $106,980 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $139,978 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $82,573 |
| 25th percentile | $102,700 |
| Median (50th) | $131,392 |
| 75th percentile | $168,232 |
| 90th percentile | $208,862 |
What education do you need?
For Construction Managers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Coordination, Management of Personnel Resources, Time Management, Speaking, Active Listening, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Engineering and Technology, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is construction managers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.1% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 16.7%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 36.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 348,330.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do construction managerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 348,330 | 18.9% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 334,010 | 18.1% |
| Construction | 277,520 | 15.1% |
| Construction of Buildings | 140,410 | 7.6% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 93,680 | 5.1% |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 84,900 | 4.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Construction Managers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Carpenters | 697,740 | $59,310 |
| Database Administrators | 73,180 | $104,620 |
| Sales Managers | 603,710 | $138,060 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 319,630 | $104,070 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | 176,420 | $103,960 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Construction Managers workforce.
Employment Over Time
348,330 Workforce in 2023
The Construction Managers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Construction Managers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$139,978 Average Wage
In 2023, Construction Managers earned an average of $139,978.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Construction Managers.
Salary distribution for Construction Managers.
Employment Growth Projections
3.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
165,040 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 16.7%
192,579 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 36.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 3.1% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Construction Managers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Construction Managers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Construction Managers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Construction Managers.
Wage Trends by Industry
9.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Construction Managers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Construction Managers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 51,960 employees, $109,570 avg wage
- CA: 35,790 employees, $137,430 avg wage
- FL: 28,090 employees, $115,550 avg wage
- NC: 17,100 employees, $117,320 avg wage
- IL: 16,740 employees, $115,250 avg wage
- OH: 14,900 employees, $101,070 avg wage
- CO: 13,150 employees, $120,930 avg wage
- AZ: 9,080 employees, $116,840 avg wage
- MA: 9,000 employees, $156,510 avg wage
- NJ: 8,580 employees, $140,070 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Construction Managers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 15,240 employees, $115,190 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 14,280 employees, $110,770 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 12,150 employees, $152,380 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 11,920 employees, $120,200 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 10,430 employees, $134,670 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 7,860 employees, $126,700 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 7,600 employees, $118,110 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 6,970 employees, $161,090 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 6,830 employees, $124,040 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 6,060 employees, $137,960 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Construction Managers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Construction Managers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Construction Managers in 2023 was 348,330 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Construction Managers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Construction Managers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Construction Managers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Construction Managers in 2023 were Construction Management, Business Administration, Engineering.
Common majors for Construction Managers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Construction Managers workers.
Education level distribution for Construction Managers.
Skills
Construction Managers need many skills, but most especially Coordination, Management of Personnel Resources, Time Management, Speaking, Active Listening.
Required skills for Construction Managers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Construction Managers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Construction Managers include Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Engineering and Technology, English Language, Customer and Personal Service.
Knowledge areas required for Construction Managers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Construction Managers include Information Ordering, Problem Sensitivity, Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Construction Managers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Construction Managers.
Daily Activities
Construction Managers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Scheduling Work and Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others, Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others.
Most important work activities for Construction Managers.
About
Construction Managers
The average yearly wage for Construction Managers was $139,978 in 2023.
SOC Code
11-9021 - Construction Managers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Construction Managers reports an average salary of $139,978, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 348,330 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.