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The differences between construction area 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 construction area manager and a general contractor. Additionally, a construction area manager has an average salary of $99,134, which is higher than the $66,602 average annual salary of a general contractor.
The top three skills for a construction area manager include OSHA, construction management and project management. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.
| Construction Area Manager | General Contractor | |
| Yearly salary | $99,134 | $66,602 |
| Hourly rate | $47.66 | $32.02 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 46,664 | 66,218 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A construction area manager oversees and directs the daily operations at construction sites, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently according to the budgets, deadlines, and standards. Their responsibilities typically include delegating tasks, handling the funds, preparing site reports, liaising with clients and engineers, setting objectives and guidelines, and monitoring the progress of all operations, resolving issues should any arise. Moreover, a construction area manager leads contractors to reach goals, all while implementing the construction site's safety policies and standards to maintain a safe and productive work environment for everyone.
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.
Construction area managers and general contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Construction Area Manager | General Contractor | |
| Average salary | $99,134 | $66,602 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $213,000 | Between $41,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a construction area manager and a general contractor in terms of educational background:
| Construction Area Manager | General Contractor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | 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 construction area managers' and general contractors' demographics:
| Construction Area Manager | General Contractor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.1% 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% |