Construction managers are responsible for coordinating and planning various construction projects which can include the building of roads, bridges, or other types of residential and commercial properties. They can manage a whole project or part of one, and they will schedule all construction processes that will occur.
These professionals may also be called project managers or constructors, and they will supervise the project from the design stage through the final construction, ensuring that the project is done in a timely fashion and that it is completed under budget. When building a large structure such as an office building, it will often take multiple project managers in order to complete the project.
Other roles of these workers will be to get products to the site and to determine the scheduling in order to complete the project. A construction manager will also oversee the hiring of trade contractors, in order to have such specialties as metalworking and electrical work done on the building.
The working conditions of a management job are usually on a construction site, and most persons will work over 40 hours a week in order to meet project deadlines. The job of these workers is not usually dangerous, except when performing on site services.
Most companies prefer hiring managers with a degree in construction management or building science, however, some construction workers will work their way up through a trade in order to become construction management.
In 2006, these professionals held almost 500,000 jobs in America, with over 50% being self-employed. Manager employment is expected to grow much faster than the rate of population growth, as American infrastructure grows and residential and commercial expansion continues.
In 2006, the middle 50% of construction managers made between $56,000 and $98,000, with equipment contractors earning the highest rated median pay and residential builders having the lowest rate of median pay. The rate of pay for project management will depend on the nature of the construction projects which they are working on and the geographical area in which they work.
Salaried construction management may receive various bonuses and a company car, in addition to per diem if they are working away from home.