Construction administrator vs construction superintendent

The differences between construction administrators and construction superintendents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a construction administrator and a construction superintendent. Additionally, a construction superintendent has an average salary of $87,486, which is higher than the $46,576 average annual salary of a construction administrator.

The top three skills for a construction administrator include construction management, construction projects and construction contracts. The most important skills for a construction superintendent are OSHA, construction management, and project management.

Construction administrator vs construction superintendent overview

	Construction Administrator	Construction Superintendent
Yearly salary	$46,576	$87,486
Hourly rate	$22.39	$42.06
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	79,644	34,822
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

What does a construction administrator do?

A Construction Administrator is responsible for all administrative duties regarding a company's construction projects. They prepare construction contract documents, review project budgets, and meet with the general contractor and clients to assist in the construction process.

What does a construction superintendent do?

A construction superintendent's role is to oversee all construction plans and operations, ensuring quality completion within a specified timeframe. Some of their responsibilities are to inspect all sites, coordinate with contractors and engineers, manage the budget and expenditure, purchase necessary materials and equipment, and make schedules. Aside from producing daily progress reports, a construction superintendent also addresses issues and concerns should there be any. Furthermore, they must implement all safety regulations and policies to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

Construction administrator vs construction superintendent salary

Construction administrators and construction superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Construction Administrator	Construction Superintendent
Average salary	$46,576	$87,486
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $66,000	Between $61,000 And $123,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate
Best paying industry	Construction	Energy

Differences between construction administrator and construction superintendent education

There are a few differences between a construction administrator and a construction superintendent in terms of educational background:

	Construction Administrator	Construction Superintendent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Construction administrator vs construction superintendent demographics

Here are the differences between construction administrators' and construction superintendents' demographics:

	Construction Administrator	Construction Superintendent
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2%	Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between construction administrator and construction superintendent duties and responsibilities

Construction administrator example responsibilities.

Manage and execute the SharePoint business integration implementation project and become the corporate governance portal administrator.
Prepare all notice to owners, certificates of insurance, and AIA billings for projects.
Respond to difficult RFI's, ferreting out inappropriate requests with answers clearly indicate in the contract documents.
Review the contract documents and specifications and consult with the design professional as required to provide responses to RFI's.
Facilitate and schedule all in-house AIA credit presentations for manufacture representatives.
Perform detailed CPM schedule analyses on as-built schedules to determine delay entitlement.

Construction superintendent example responsibilities.

Manage crew on apartment, condo and town-home remodel and restoration projects.
Manage the MEP coordination meetings, as well as performing mechanical superintendent duties.
Manage the supervising of construction and installation of HVAC restoration in historical government hospital buildings.
Manage complex logistics, including procuring materials and navigating space constraints, to successfully complete project amid concurrent construction of building.
Communicate with EOR/Architect/Construction PM/Superintendent/fab shop on all shop drawings as needed to resolve RFI's and change orders.
Avoid disputes & claims through comprehensive proposals, email correspondence, RFI's, & daily reporting.

Construction administrator vs construction superintendent skills

Common construction administrator skills

Construction Management, 7%
Construction Projects, 7%
Construction Contracts, 7%
Project Management, 6%
RFI, 5%
Purchase Orders, 5%

Common construction superintendent skills

OSHA, 13%
Construction Management, 8%
Project Management, 6%
Construction Sites, 5%
Safety Program, 5%
Quality Standards, 5%

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Construction Administrator
Construction Administrator vs Construction Superintendent

Updated January 8, 2025

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