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Construction Managers

Also called: Construction Foreman, Construction Manager, Construction Superintendent, General Superintendent

Plan, direct, or coordinate, usually through subordinate supervisory personnel, activities concerned with the construction and maintenance of structures, facilities, and systems. Participate in the conceptual development of a construction project and oversee its organization, scheduling, budgeting, and implementation. Includes managers in specialized construction fields, such as carpentry or plumbing.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$114,990
Openings a year BLS, 2025–3549,700
Typical education to start BLSBachelor's degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 High
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +9.1%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 15 of its 25 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 9.1% by 2035. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 2.5% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 12.8 hires for every 10 job openings in construction, which employs about 80% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 89% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$86k$155knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$96,960$77,190 to $121,3308,560
Alaska$139,190$121,290 to $171,3701,720
Arizona$114,680$95,200 to $136,3509,910
Arkansas$86,310$70,040 to $101,5502,280
California$133,160$102,780 to $168,07034,750
Colorado$124,830$98,890 to $153,42012,550
Connecticut$125,190$99,370 to $155,9903,620
Delaware$132,150$105,320 to $168,950610
District of Columbia$126,430$103,660 to $161,2401,250
Florida$113,130$85,930 to $162,17034,010
Georgia$110,810$85,540 to $138,85010,740
Guam$96,210$66,300 to $104,100450
Hawaii$128,910$101,450 to $159,4402,890
Idaho$104,600$83,410 to $131,6302,280
Illinois$109,160$80,010 to $140,00019,160
Indiana$106,390$84,930 to $134,3505,450
Iowa$99,280$78,890 to $130,9203,070
Kansas$120,810$97,940 to $133,9102,960
Kentucky$97,020$74,380 to $134,2302,990
Louisiana$110,010$90,450 to $137,7105,530
Maine$110,070$81,700 to $143,6701,460
Maryland$128,330$97,490 to $161,4505,770
Massachusetts$145,010$127,020 to $173,5209,870
Michigan$103,230$79,830 to $133,4009,620
Minnesota$123,400$96,300 to $155,7405,800
Mississippi$99,520$80,880 to $124,2901,640
Missouri$112,230$92,750 to $136,5803,680
Montana$104,480$90,810 to $137,4502,140
Nebraska$100,820$79,780 to $127,9303,430
Nevada$115,250$93,550 to $139,8904,460
New Hampshire$129,260$101,340 to $157,400660
New Jersey$138,230$110,230 to $177,1506,910
New Mexico$104,550$83,470 to $131,3502,480
New York$155,360$108,890 to $197,01010,280
North Carolina$106,640$83,990 to $137,51016,310
North Dakota$102,070$78,120 to $130,9801,450
Ohio$101,980$80,500 to $128,12016,130
Oklahoma$100,690$81,130 to $133,5601,980
Oregon$131,420$97,270 to $165,3504,300
Pennsylvania$108,250$93,500 to $138,4906,840
Puerto Rico$77,380$56,530 to $97,480670
Rhode Island$103,990$84,280 to $135,210450
South Carolina$108,110$86,440 to $139,5705,620
South Dakota$118,380$99,830 to $132,3301,070
Tennessee$110,200$82,720 to $147,9005,860
Texas$101,470$79,390 to $131,57059,060
Utah$105,200$85,260 to $128,870not published
Vermont$103,450$83,200 to $126,150930
Virgin Islands$89,950$68,960 to $123,27060
Virginia$119,110$96,390 to $153,2207,290
Washington$155,070$130,010 to $177,9906,010
West Virginia$95,740$69,440 to $129,500600
Wisconsin$114,190$96,970 to $138,5906,080
Wyoming$92,320$64,990 to $132,370not published

Nationally: $114,990. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 15 of its 25 tasks

5 · AI alone could halve the time 10 · AI + software built on it could 10 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI + software Inspect or review projects to monitor compliance with building and safety codes or other regulations. Not published
AI + software Plan, schedule, or coordinate construction project activities to meet deadlines. Not published
AI + software Prepare and submit budget estimates, progress reports, or cost tracking reports. Not published
Not much Confer with supervisory personnel, owners, contractors, or design professionals to discuss and resolve matters, such as work procedures, complaints, or construction problems. Not published
AI + software Develop or implement quality control programs. under 0.01%
Not much Study job specifications to determine appropriate construction methods. Not published
See all 25 tasks
Not much Plan, organize, or direct activities concerned with the construction or maintenance of structures, facilities, or systems. Not published
AI alone Prepare contracts or negotiate revisions to contractual agreements with architects, consultants, clients, suppliers, or subcontractors. under 0.01%
AI alone Apply for and obtain all necessary permits or licenses. under 0.01%
Not much Investigate damage, accidents, or delays at construction sites to ensure that proper construction procedures are being followed. Not published
AI alone Interpret and explain plans and contract terms to representatives of the owner or developer, including administrative staff, workers, or clients. under 0.01%
Not much Implement new or modified plans in response to delays, bad weather, or construction site emergencies. Not published
Not much Contract or oversee craft work, such as painting or plumbing. Not published
Not much Direct and supervise construction or related workers. Not published
AI + software Perform, or contract others to perform, pre-building assessments, such as conceptual cost estimating, rough order of magnitude estimating, feasibility, or energy efficiency, environmental, and sustainability assessments. Not published
AI + software Evaluate construction methods and determine cost-effectiveness of plans, using computer models. Not published
AI alone Determine labor requirements for dispatching workers to construction sites. Not published
Not much Requisition supplies or materials to complete construction projects. Not published
AI + software Inspect or review projects to monitor compliance with environmental regulations. Not published
AI + software Develop or implement environmental protection programs. Not published
Not much Implement training programs on environmentally responsible building topics to update employee skills and knowledge. Not published
AI alone Develop construction budgets to compare green and non-green construction alternatives, in terms of short-term costs, long-term costs, or environmental impacts. Not published
AI + software Secure third-party verification from sources, such as Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED), to ensure responsible design and building activities or to achieve favorable LEED ratings for building projects. Not published
AI + software Apply green building strategies to reduce energy costs or minimize carbon output or other sources of harm to the environment. Not published
Not much Direct acquisition of land for construction projects. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 4 of the 25 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 25 tasks fall under 24 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up15 of 25 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most4 of 24 activities
  • #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
  • #12 Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
  • #17 Implement procedures or processes
  • and 1 more, in the table below
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Direct construction or extraction activities 0.06#321 0.03#293
Implement procedures or processes 113#17 27#41
Purchase goods or services 47#36 0.39#220
Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits 9.38#94 1.90#132
Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards 2.67#176 4.32#99
Negotiate contracts or agreements 1.06#233 0.13#263
Read documents or materials to inform work processes 197#8 47#28
Explain regulations, policies, or procedures 131#12 119#15
Show all 24 activities
Develop operational or technical procedures or standards 13#79 9.18#68
Investigate incidents or accidents 8.06#104 0.71#183
Determine resource needs of projects or operations 6.29#111 2.93#115
Estimate project development or operational costs 4.43#137 2.69#118
Manage budgets or finances 4.12#143 0.51#203
Analyze data to improve operations 3.31#159 1.09#162
Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets 2.96#169 0.55#196
Develop organizational policies, systems, or processes 2.70#175 1.31#148
Evaluate project feasibility 2.26#191 0.68#184
Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures 1.85#204 0.36#225
Train others on operational or work procedures 1.60#211 29#38
Perform recruiting or hiring activities 0.99#237 0.43#217
Develop sustainable organizational or business policies or practices 0.72#254 0.33#231
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
Develop plans for managing or preserving natural resources 0.40#278 0.20#241
Assess compliance with environmental standards or regulations 0.26#291 0.20#242
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Direct construction or extraction activities” holds 1 task rated AI + software, yet people asked AI for help with it in 0.06 of every 10,000 conversations, #321 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • A document or report36%
  • Data or a spreadsheet27%
  • An explanation or answer6%
  • An analysis or summary5%
  • An email or message5%

How they worked with Claude

51% handed the task off49% worked on it together

81% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for construction managers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Construction managers: +9.1%Construction ManagersAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Construction managers: +9.1%Construction Managers

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 293,637 moves out

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 19%
  2. 2 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 5%
  3. 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
  4. 4 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
  5. 5 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%

Where people moved in from

of 400,685 moves in

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 17%
  2. 2 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 4%
  3. 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
  4. 4 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
  5. 5 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 2%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 5% less than high school
  • 15% high school
  • 15% postsecondary certificate
  • 10% some college
  • 10% associate's
  • 40% bachelor's
  • 5% master's

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 20 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 8% less than high school
  • 27% high school
  • 22% some college
  • 9% associate's
  • 27% bachelor's
  • 6% master's
  • 1% professional degree

Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 11,492 people surveyed.

Why the two can differ

O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
8 programs, such as Construction Engineering Technology/Technician, Public Works Management and Business/Commerce, General.
See all
  • Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
  • Public Works Management
  • Business/Commerce, General
  • Business Administration and Management, General
  • Operations Management and Supervision
  • Construction Management, General
  • Construction Project Management
  • Construction Management, Other

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

84.2% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a license6.9%19.1%
a certification2.2%5.8%
an educational certificatenot published

Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS

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