Management Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 11-9021

Construction Managers

The published band from $69,690 to $189,440 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Computer and Information Systems Managers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Construction Managers: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($175K) , Fundraising Managers ($125K) , Financial Managers ($167K) , Industrial Production Managers ($126K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Construction Managers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 11-9021 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Inspect or review projects to monitor compliance with building and safety codes or other regulations
  2. 2. Develop or implement quality control programs
  3. 3. Plan, schedule, or coordinate construction project activities to meet deadlines
  4. 4. Prepare and submit budget estimates, progress reports, or cost tracking reports
  5. 5. Direct and supervise construction or related workers
  6. 6. Determine labor requirements for dispatching workers to construction sites
  7. 7. Confer with supervisory personnel, owners, contractors, or design professionals to discuss and resolve matters, such as work procedures…
  8. 8. Prepare contracts or negotiate revisions to contractual agreements with architects, consultants, clients, suppliers, or subcontractors
  9. 9. Study job specifications to determine appropriate construction methods
  10. 10. Plan, organize, or direct activities concerned with the construction or maintenance of structures, facilities, or systems
  11. 11. Contract or oversee craft work, such as painting or plumbing
  12. 12. Investigate damage, accidents, or delays at construction sites to ensure that proper construction procedures are being followed

Construction Managers: O*NET ranks Judgment and Decision Making first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 11-9021 - lead skill Judgment and Decision Making at 4.1 ; lead knowledge Building and Construction. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Judgment and Decision Making 4.1
  2. 2. Management of Personnel Resources 4.1
  3. 3. Active Listening 4.0
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 4.0
  5. 5. Coordination 4.0
  6. 6. Complex Problem Solving 4.0
  7. 7. Time Management 4.0
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 3.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Building and Construction 4.7
  2. 2. Administration and Management 4.3
  3. 3. Mathematics 4.0
  4. 4. Engineering and Technology 4.0
  5. 5. Customer and Personal Service 3.9
  6. 6. Mechanical 3.8
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$69,690 to $189,440
median $114,990 · ~2.7× spread
$115K
National median
↑ +9%
Growth 2024-2034
46,800
Annual openings
380,360
Estimated US jobs
Computer and Information Systems Managers
Highest-pay peer · $175K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Construction Managers

1. Delaware $132,150
2. Washington $155,070
3. New York $155,360
4. New Hampshire $129,260
5. California $133,160
6. New Jersey $138,230
7. Alaska $139,190
8. Hawaii $128,910
9. Oregon $131,420
10. Massachusetts $145,010

Other Management Occupations titles

  1. 1. Fundraising Managers $125,470
  2. 2. Financial Managers $166,570
  3. 3. Industrial Production Managers $126,060
  4. 4. Computer and Information Systems Managers $175,140
  5. 5. Compensation and Benefits Managers $149,230
  6. 6. Managers, All Other $141,900

The OEWS band for Construction Managers runs from $69,690 (10th) to $189,440 (90th), about 2.7× wide, with median $114,990. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +9% change between 2024 and 2034 (much faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 46,800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Delaware at $132,150. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Computer and Information Systems Managers at $175,140. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Construction Managers pay-rank #18 in Management Occupations

Construction Managers sits at pay-rank #18 of 37 detailed Management Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Construction Managers is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Construction Managers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 11-9021

Delaware · top state for Construction Managers

$132K published median

Washington · #2 state pay

$155K · behind Delaware

Computer and Information Systems Managers

Highest-pay peer vs Construction Managers · $175K

Fundraising Managers

Lower-pay peer beside Construction Managers · $125K

Compare Construction Managers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Construction Managers with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Construction Managers mid-table among Management Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #18 of 37 detailed Management Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Administrative Services Managers ($114K), Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers ($107K), Facilities Managers ($107K), Medical and Health Services Managers ($124K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do construction managers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Construction Managers. Leading ones include: Inspect or review projects to monitor compliance with building and safety codes or other regulations; Develop or implement quality control programs; Plan, schedule, or coordinate construction project activities to meet deadlines; Prepare and submit budget estimates, progress reports, or cost tracking reports. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for construction managers? ▼
For SOC 11-9021, O*NET importance scores lead with Judgment and Decision Making (4.1), Management of Personnel Resources (4.1), Active Listening (4.0), Critical Thinking (4.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Construction Managers? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $69,690 and the 90th at $189,440 for Construction Managers (2.7× spread). The national median is $114,990. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Construction Managers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Construction Managers is +9%. Projected annual openings: about 46,800. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: much faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Construction Managers? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Construction Managers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Construction Managers? ▼
Delaware ($132,150), Washington ($155,070), New York ($155,360) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Construction Managers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 11-9021. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Construction Managers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics