Construction Management Career Tracks

The career of construction manager was recently noted by U.S News and World Report as one of its twenty "hot job tracks".

Since the position calls for a college degree and substantial experience in different construction roles, good construction managers are tough to find. The construction industry is one of the largest industries in the world.

In the United States construction projects account for almost 10% of the Gross National Product. The construction business is also incredibly diverse. From international engineering and construction giants to the single home builder, over 500,000 firms are involved in the business of building.

Given this diversity, there is a large demand for degreed Construction Management professionals. A recent study, notes that there will be in excess of 10,000 jobs created in construction management fields over the next few years. These high paying jobs will require expertise in construction technologies, business management, organizational communication. Given the intense demand for construction professionals, the starting salary for an entry level constructor with a four year degree averages over $54,000 annually.

Construction is a professionally demanding business that requires a high degree of energy. Because a typical building requires thousands of design decisions and millions of individual components, the construction manager needs to have strong technical knowledge and excellent organizational skills. Additionally, construction managers need to be strong communicators.

Some typical entry level positions include:

Superintendent - Construction Superintendents are responsible for all field operations on the construction site include subcontractor scheduling, material and labor management, and customer relations.

Assistant Superintendent - The Assistant Superintendent supports the site superintendent in the management of the construction project.

Field Engineer - The field engineer is charged with site layout and quality control on the jobsite. Field engineers also assist in document control and submittal review.

Safety Engineer - The safety engineer manages safety on construction jobsites and formulates safety policies for the construction firm.

Cost Engineer - The cost engineer is responsible for cost control on the contraction project, and works closely with estimating in developing historical costs for future estimates.

Estimator - The Estimator is responsible for developing computer based cost models of the construction project. These cost models are used to negotiate contracts with subcontractors, and owners.

Purchasing Agent - The purchasing agent expedites material procurement and delivery and helps develop subcontract agreements.

Project Manager - The Project Manager handles the administrative side of the construction project. They negotiate change orders, develop schedules, manage contracts and maintain bottom line responsibility.

Scheduler - The Scheduler develops computer based scheduling models which are used to keep the job on track.

Expeditor - The Expeditor assists in maintaining construction schedules. They handle to purchase and tracking of important material components at the jobsite.

Sales / Marketing - Sales Technicians market construction services or construction products and materials

Government - Because construction is heavily regulated, there is a large demand for building inspectors, safety inspectors, city planners, and facilities coordinators

 
 

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