Construction Manager
You own a construction project's schedule, budget, and crews. You sequence trades so the electrician is not waiting on the framer, approve changes, chase inspections, and answer to an owner who wants the building open on a date. Most of the day happens on site.
Updated
Typical Pay (US)*
$106kmedian*Outlook
Sustained building demand and infrastructure spending have driven strong, well-above-average growth in on-site management roles.
What does a Construction Manager do?
You own a construction project's schedule, budget, and crews. You sequence trades so the electrician is not waiting on the framer, approve changes, chase inspections, and answer to an owner who wants the building open on a date. Most of the day happens on site.
A day in the life
- Walk the site at six, count crews, and find what is not moving.
- Run the coordination meeting: concrete, steel, and mechanical all want the same week.
- Price a change order because the owner moves a wall two feet.
- Meet the inspector, then rework tomorrow's schedule around what he flags.
- Close the day in Procore: logs, photos, and the two-week look-ahead.
How to become a Construction Manager
- 1
Get on a jobsite
Field engineer, assistant superintendent, or a trade. Nobody follows a manager who cannot read the work.
- 2
Study construction management
A construction-management or civil degree is the common door; trade experience plus night classes is the other.
- 3
Learn the money
Estimating, bidding, change orders, and schedule of values. The schedule and the budget are one document.
- 4
Get certified
OSHA 30 first, then CCM or PMP. Many owners require them before you lead their project.
- 5
Take a small project end to end
A tenant fit-out you close on time buys you the next, larger one.
Skills that matter
Learn the actual skills
Mochivia teaches in short, interactive lessons on iPhone, a few minutes a day.
