Construction Managers

What Construction Managers Do

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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

35.8%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Building and Constructionimportance 4.7/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 4.3/5
• Mathematicsimportance 4.0/5
• Engineering and Technologyimportance 4.0/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.9/5
• Mechanicalimportance 3.8/5
• Production and Processingimportance 3.8/5
• Economics and Accountingimportance 3.8/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail4.9/5
• Telephone Conversations4.9/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
• Contact With Others4.6/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.5/5

Related Careers

• Civil Engineers
• First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
• Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Construction and Building Inspectors
• Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
• Industrial Engineers
• Architectural and Engineering Managers
• Project Management Specialists

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• General and Operations Managers95% skill match
• Industrial Production Managers94% skill match
• Administrative Services Managers94% skill match
• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers94% skill match
• Landscape Architects94% skill match
• Fashion Designers93% skill match
• Architectural and Engineering Managers93% skill match
• Food Service Managers93% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 4.1/5
• Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 4.1/5
• Coordinationimportance 4.0/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 4.0/5
• Time Managementimportance 4.0/5
• Negotiationimportance 3.9/5
• Systems Analysisimportance 3.6/5
• Management of Financial Resourcesimportance 3.6/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Leadership Orientation
• Dependability
• Integrity
• Attention to Detail
• Perseverance
• Stress Tolerance
• Achievement Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• EnterprisingHigh
• ConventionalMedium
• RealisticMedium
• InvestigativeMedium
• SocialLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where construction managers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX3.03× national avg
2. 2Greeley, CO2.65× national avg
3. 3Bozeman, MT2.60× national avg
4. 4Decatur, IL2.53× national avg
5. 5Corpus Christi, TX2.43× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Architectural and Engineering ManagersAdvancement
• Industrial Production ManagersLateral Move
• General and Operations ManagersLateral Move
• Chief ExecutivesAdvancement

See the full career path from Construction Managers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.