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The differences between commercial project managers 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 a commercial project manager and a general contractor. Additionally, a commercial project manager has an average salary of $84,909, which is higher than the $66,602 average annual salary of a general contractor.
The top three skills for a commercial project manager include project management, customer service and roofing. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.
| Commercial Project Manager | General Contractor | |
| Yearly salary | $84,909 | $66,602 |
| Hourly rate | $40.82 | $32.02 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 150,062 | 66,218 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A commercial project manager is responsible for monitoring the development of business projects across the company within various industries. Commercial project managers strategize on the procedures for the project deliverables, including the resources, budget allocation, and timetables. They delegate tasks among the team members and conduct regular brainstorming sessions for progress updates and ways to enhance the existing project outline. A commercial project manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in resolving failure points within the project system and adjust plans immediately as needed to meet goals and objectives.
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.
Commercial project managers and general contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Project Manager | General Contractor | |
| Average salary | $84,909 | $66,602 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $115,000 | Between $41,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | New York | - |
| Best paying company | ONE Gas | - |
| Best paying industry | Energy | - |
There are a few differences between a commercial project manager and a general contractor in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Project Manager | General Contractor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between commercial project managers' and general contractors' demographics:
| Commercial Project Manager | General Contractor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.2% Female, 20.8% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 70.7% 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 Percentage | 4% | 4% |