Building contractor vs contractor assistant

The differences between building contractors and contractor assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes More than 10 years to become both a building contractor and a contractor assistant. Additionally, a building contractor has an average salary of $72,354, which is higher than the $39,453 average annual salary of a contractor assistant.

The top three skills for a building contractor include plumbing, contract terms and sub contractors. The most important skills for a contractor assistant are drywall installation, purchase orders, and administrative tasks.

Building contractor vs contractor assistant overview

	Building Contractor	Contractor Assistant
Yearly salary	$72,354	$39,453
Hourly rate	$34.79	$18.97
Growth rate	8%	4%
Number of jobs	16,283	12,816
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Building contractor vs contractor assistant salary

Building contractors and contractor assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Building Contractor	Contractor Assistant
Average salary	$72,354	$39,453
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $99,000	Between $33,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Illinois
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between building contractor and contractor assistant education

There are a few differences between a building contractor and a contractor assistant in terms of educational background:

	Building Contractor	Contractor Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Building contractor vs contractor assistant demographics

Here are the differences between building contractors' and contractor assistants' demographics:

	Building Contractor	Contractor Assistant
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0%	Male, 68.2% Female, 31.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 1.5% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 1.4% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between building contractor and contractor assistant duties and responsibilities

Building contractor example responsibilities.

Utilize QuickBooks to manage company finances, including project invoices, material purchases, and accounts receivable.
Install cedar shakes and various asphalt roofs, including- 3 tab shingles, malarkey shingles, and architectural shingles.
Mop and pour hot asphalt or tar onto roof base when applying asphalt or tar and gravel to roof.
Install, update, troubleshoot and/or repair trade-specific/project relate assignments.
Utilize industry knowledge to anticipate and communicate changes and adjustments effecting project plans, specifications or design.
Automate company records in QuickBooks resulting in more accurate reflection of company income and expenses

Contractor assistant example responsibilities.

Manage and decide all remodel activities.
Construct undergrounds for new homes, complete water systems in copper, pex and cpvc.
Remodel bathrooms, install windows and doors, roofing, siding, fencing, landscaping, and general house repairs.
Certificate in upnor PEX water line install.
Install new 3/4 PVC condensate drains for all coils
Experience working with various PVC and metal pipe materials and fittings.

Building contractor vs contractor assistant skills

Common building contractor skills

Plumbing, 17%
Contract Terms, 8%
Sub Contractors, 7%
Windows, 6%
Building Repairs, 5%
Payroll, 4%

Common contractor assistant skills

Drywall Installation, 12%
Purchase Orders, 9%
Administrative Tasks, 6%
Contract Terms, 6%
Construction Sites, 5%
Sheetrock, 5%

Building Contractor vs. similar jobs

Building Contractor related careers

Building Contractor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Construction and Extraction Industry
Building Contractor
Building Contractor vs Contractor Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse construction and extraction jobs