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Assistant construction superintendent vs general contractor

The differences between assistant construction superintendents and general contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both an assistant construction superintendent and a general contractor. Additionally, an assistant construction superintendent has an average salary of $67,844, which is higher than the $66,602 average annual salary of a general contractor.

The top three skills for an assistant construction superintendent include OSHA, construction projects and construction management. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.

Assistant construction superintendent vs general contractor overview

Assistant Construction SuperintendentGeneral Contractor
Yearly salary$67,844$66,602
Hourly rate$32.62$32.02
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs35,42266,218
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age4646
Years of experience88

What does an assistant construction superintendent do?

An assistant construction superintendent is in charge of performing clerical support tasks for construction superintendents on a construction site. They typically utilize their knowledge in the industry by conducting inspections and evaluations to ensure that all structures comply with the construction plans, including the laws and regulations. Their responsibilities also include handling calls and correspondence, liaising with vendors and suppliers, overseeing the budgets and costs, maintaining records, producing progress reports, and implementing the site's safety policies and regulations.

What does a general contractor do?

The job of general contractors is to oversee the day-to-day operations of projects in the organization. General contractors are considered seasoned experts when it comes to home improvement. They provide the material, equipment, labor, and services for a construction project. Often, they hire specialized subcontractors who will be working on some part of the construction work. They should have attained a bachelor's or associate's degree in construction management. Their experience in the industry is highly coveted.

Assistant construction superintendent vs general contractor salary

Assistant construction superintendents and general contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Assistant Construction SuperintendentGeneral Contractor
Average salary$67,844$66,602
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $98,000Between $41,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between assistant construction superintendent and general contractor education

There are a few differences between an assistant construction superintendent and a general contractor in terms of educational background:

Assistant Construction SuperintendentGeneral Contractor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Assistant construction superintendent vs general contractor demographics

Here are the differences between assistant construction superintendents' and general contractors' demographics:

Assistant Construction SuperintendentGeneral Contractor
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 93.6% Female, 6.4%Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between assistant construction superintendent and general contractor duties and responsibilities

Assistant construction superintendent example responsibilities.

  • Manage third party contractors, including safety oversight, control inspection and environmental design specification compliance, and also direct consultants.
  • Generate RFI in print deficiency.
  • Assist in enforcement of all leer, OSHA and company safety policies and procedures.
  • Complete inspections with county for plumbing, engineering, a/c, electrical and fire prevention.
  • Schedule, coordinate and review electrical, plumbing, cabinetry, tile work, appliances, etc.
  • Perform contract management, construction scheduling, subcontractor coordination, client relations, quality assurance and safety policy oversight and enforcement.
  • Show more

General contractor example responsibilities.

  • Manage the repair/replacement of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and structural of primarily historical residences.
  • Manage third party contractors including safety oversight, environmental design specification compliance, and similar construction specifications and requirements.
  • Perform electrical, mechanical (HVAC), plumbing, framing, roofing and finishing construction for residential and commercial buildings.
  • Remodel restaurants, which include painting, dry wall, tiling, plumbing, electrical and laying carpet.
  • Assist and perform all duties with installation of cabinets, flooring, sheetrock, framing, concrete, and basic plumbing.
  • Experience in roofing, painting, digging of footers, and tile setting.
  • Show more

Assistant construction superintendent vs general contractor skills

Common assistant construction superintendent skills
  • OSHA, 21%
  • Construction Projects, 19%
  • Construction Management, 16%
  • Quality Standards, 10%
  • Construction Sites, 9%
  • Project Site, 4%
Common general contractor skills
  • Plumbing, 17%
  • Safety Regulations, 12%
  • Contract Negotiations, 11%
  • Drywall Installation, 7%
  • Construction Projects, 4%
  • Payroll, 4%

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