What does an assistant superintendent do?

In a construction setting, an assistant superintendent is primarily in charge of supervising workers to ensure that the construction project's completion will be within the expected time and allotted budget. Most of their responsibilities revolve around assisting the superintendent with their tasks, creating schedules, and meeting with clients. Furthermore, an assistant superintendent must also coordinate with all construction workers and build rapport with them, all while implementing the safety policies and standards for a safe and productive work environment.
Assistant superintendent responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real assistant superintendent resumes:
- Lead QA planning and plan development for support applications.
- Manage computerize controls for heating, A/C and all energy management systems.
- Manage subcontractor trades including: foundation waterproofing, MEP systems, concrete, underground utilities and all finish trades.
- Develop and manage all pesticide, weed, fertilizer, and cultural programs for turf grass and landscape plants.
- Manage coordination and logistics for security project for used cooking oil collection containers.
- Manage off-site inventory and logistics locations, including negotiating payment terms and long-term lease agreements.
- Assist lead safety manager in weekly safety meetings to make sure the job sites meet current BCBE and OSHA safety standards.
- Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, hedge or bush trimmers, or axes.
- Utilize PLC solutions (Allen-Bradley).
- Maintain effective communications within NDT and QA areas.
- Repair and installing of floor and plastering of walls.
- Perform electrical repairs, install windows, doors and floors.
- Lead QC activities for qPCR multiplex assays and data analysis.
- Operate machine call a sand pro that rakes the bunkers.
- Install, troubleshoot and upgrade hardware and software on personal computers.
Assistant superintendent skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Assistant Superintendents are proficient in Customer Service, Quality Standards, and OSHA. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Management skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Assistant Superintendents that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 9%
Supported Superintendent in scheduling of back-end construction events and Customer Service/Warranty requests for a single family housing community
- Quality Standards, 8%
Managed process of building assembly activities consistent with project schedule, manpower/equipment budget and quality standards.
- OSHA, 8%
Consulted with environmental and OSHA representatives daily and maintained state environmental division's booth exhaust logs.
- Construction Management, 8%
Total project permit application and construction management for new residential development leading to a certificate of occupancy.
- Safety Standards, 8%
Examined job prints to determine different elevations* Attended weekly sub-contractor meeting* Assured work quality assurance and control* Enforced safety standards/daily safety meetings
- Construction Projects, 5%
Advanced with this general contractor specializing in commercial retrofit and tenant improvements to coordinate and lead major construction projects.
Common skills that an assistant superintendent uses to do their job include "customer service," "quality standards," and "osha." You can find details on the most important assistant superintendent responsibilities below.
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an assistant superintendent to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Assistant superintendents often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "executed 99% on-time project completion through prioritization and communication of cross-functional team. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of assistant superintendents is problem-solving skills. This skill is critical to many everyday assistant superintendent duties, as "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "resolved litigation on prior construction projects. "
Leadership skills. assistant superintendent responsibilities often require "leadership skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." This resume example shows what assistant superintendents do with leadership skills on a typical day: "provided leadership, coordination and oversight of maintenance and project related activities for the rail system. "
Time-management skills. A commonly-found skill in assistant superintendent job descriptions, "time-management skills" is essential to what assistant superintendents do. Assistant superintendent responsibilities rely on this skill because "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." You can also see how assistant superintendent duties rely on time-management skills in this resume example: "inspect subcontractors work for quality standards and execute projects according to plan and meet deadlines. "
The three companies that hire the most assistant superintendents are:
- D.R. Horton108 assistant superintendents jobs
- Troon58 assistant superintendents jobs
- RES Success
58 assistant superintendents jobs
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Assistant superintendent vs. General foreman
Using their knowledge and expertise of all construction disciplines, a general foreman plans and oversees operations within a construction site to ensure that everything is running smoothly. They are typically in charge of conducting regular inspections, coordinating with engineers and architects, managing the budget and expenditures, supervising workers, and ensuring that the project moves according to the desired time frame. Furthermore, a general foreman implements all safety regulations and policies to ensure a safe and productive work environment for everyone.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an assistant superintendent are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "construction management," "project management," and "direct supervision." On the other hand, a job as a general foreman requires skills like "safety rules," "safety policies," "ppe," and "structural steel." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
General foremen tend to make the most money working in the construction industry, where they earn an average salary of $54,753. In contrast, assistant superintendents make the biggest average salary, $76,938, in the professional industry.The education levels that general foremen earn slightly differ from assistant superintendents. In particular, general foremen are 4.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an assistant superintendent. Additionally, they're 1.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Assistant superintendent vs. Crew foreman
A crew foreman coordinates the daily activities in a construction site to ensure that operations adhere to deadlines, budgets, and quality standards. They serve as the point of contact for supervisors, clients, and construction workers. They are also in charge of managing construction schedules, conducting assessments and evaluations, hiring staff, training staff, monitoring supplies, and ordering materials. Additionally, they must enforce safety regulations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that assistant superintendent responsibilities requires skills like "quality standards," "construction management," "safety standards," and "project management." But a crew foreman might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "cdl," "hand tools," "work ethic," and "good communication."
Crew foremen may earn a lower salary than assistant superintendents, but crew foremen earn the most pay in the utilities industry with an average salary of $53,154. On the other hand, assistant superintendents receive higher pay in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $76,938.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Crew foremen tend to reach lower levels of education than assistant superintendents. In fact, they're 5.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Assistant superintendent vs. Leadman
An electrical foreman is an individual who is responsible for supervising power linesmen and electricians in the installation, repair, and maintenance of electrical power lines or electrical systems. Electrical foremen conduct periodic inspections at a construction site to ensure that materials and supplies are available. They must enforce safety regulations, rules, and working conditions among the employees due to their hazardous work setting. They also supervise the operation of an electrical repair shop and train personnel in the safe operation of equipment and tools.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from assistant superintendent resumes include skills like "customer service," "construction management," "construction projects," and "project management," whereas a leadman is more likely to list skills in "hand tools," "work ethic," "safety rules," and "shovels. "
Leadmen make a very good living in the construction industry with an average annual salary of $40,107. On the other hand, assistant superintendents are paid the highest salary in the professional industry, with average annual pay of $76,938.leadmen typically earn lower educational levels compared to assistant superintendents. Specifically, they're 6.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Assistant superintendent vs. Electrical foreman
Even though a few skill sets overlap between assistant superintendents and electrical foremen, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an assistant superintendent might have more use for skills like "customer service," "quality standards," "construction management," and "safety standards." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of electrical foremen require skills like "nec," "electrical systems," "work ethic," and "transformers. "
Electrical foremen enjoy the best pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $57,314. For comparison, assistant superintendents earn the highest salary in the professional industry.In general, electrical foremen hold similar degree levels compared to assistant superintendents. Electrical foremen are 3.2% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of assistant superintendent
Updated January 8, 2025











