What Can I Do With a Major in
Construction Management?
Salary Range: $28,970-$89,480 annually
Personal Interests: Working with your hands, enjoy outside work, taking risks for profit, and persuading and leading people and making decisions
Work Environment: Work is done at a main office or a field office at the construction site
Description: Construction Managers plan and direct construction projects. They may have job titles, such as constructor, construction superintendent, general superintendent, project engineer, project manager, general construction manager, or executive construction manager. Construction managers may be owners or salaried employees of a construction management or contracting firm, or may work under contract or as a salaried employee of the owner, developer, contractor, or management firm overseeing the construction project.
Construction manager is defined within the construction industry to denote a management firm, or an individual employed by such a firm, involved in management oversight of a construction project. Although they typically have no direct role in the actual construction of a structure, they do schedule and coordinate all design and construction processes including the selection, hiring, and oversight of specialty trade contractors.
Construction Managers direct and monitor the progress of construction activities at all times through other construction supervisors. This includes the delivery and use of materials, tools, and equipment; the quality of construction; worker productivity and safety. They are responsible for obtaining all necessary permits and licenses and, depending upon the contractual arrangements, direct or monitor compliance with building and safety codes and other regulations. They may have several subordinates, such as assistant managers or superintendents, field engineers, or crew supervisors, reporting to them.
Construction Managers regularly review engineering and architectural drawings and specifications to monitor progress and ensure compliance with plans and specifications. They track and control construction costs to avoid cost overruns. Based upon direct observation and reports by subordinate supervisors, managers may prepare daily reports of progress and requirements for labor, material, and machinery and equipment at the construction site. They meet regularly with owners, trade contractors, architects, and other design professionals to monitor and coordinate all phases of the construction project.
Working Conditions: Construction managers work out of a main office from which the overall construction project is monitored, or out of a field office at the construction site. Management decisions regarding daily construction activities are usually made at the job site. Managers usually travel when the construction site is in another state or when they are responsible for activities at two or more sites. Management of overseas construction projects usually entails temporary residence in another country. Construction managers must be "on-call," often 24 hours a day, to deal with bad weather or emergencies at the site. Most work more than a standard 40-hour week because construction may proceed around-the-clock.
Training, Other Qualifications: Often, persons advance to construction management positions after having substantial experience as construction craft workers, or after having worked as construction supervisors or as owners of independent specialty contracting firms overseeing workers in one or more construction trades. However, more and more employers, particularly large construction firms, hire individuals who combine work experience with a Bachelor degree in construction or building science or construction management. Graduates from 4-year degree programs are usually hired as assistants to project managers, field engineers, schedulers, or cost estimators.
Job Outlook: Employment of construction managers is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2008, as the level of complexity of construction activity continues to grow. Prospects in construction management, engineering and architectural services, and construction contracting firms should be best for persons who have a Bachelor or higher degree in construction science, construction management, or construction engineering as well as practical experience working in construction. Employers prefer applicants with previous construction work experience who can combine a strong background in building technology with proven supervisory or managerial skills.
Earnings: Earnings of salaried construction managers and self-employed independent construction contractors vary depending upon the size and nature of the construction project, its geographic location, and economic conditions. According to the 2000 wage estimates by the Michigan Department of Career Development, the average annual earnings for Construction Managers in Michigan were $57,150.
Related Occupations: Architects, civil engineers, construction supervisors, cost engineers, cost estimators, real estate developers, and landscape engineers.