What does a construction assistant do?

A construction assistant performs various clerical and operational support tasks to assist construction managers and maintain smooth workflow operations. Their responsibilities usually include monitoring budgets and costs, handling calls and correspondence, purchasing construction materials according to project requirements, liaising with suppliers and construction contractors, and participating in managing the schedules and activities of the workers. A construction assistant may also perform inspections to identify problem areas and ensure that all procedures adhere to the safety codes and standards.
Construction assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real construction assistant resumes:
- Fix electrical fixtures and manage plumbing problems effectively.
- Employ a wide verity of hand and power tools including hoists, drills, precision measuring instruments and electronic testing devices.
- Negotiate material sales contracts, document historical information, provide earned value management, and safety oversight for projects/programs.
- Prepare plans and specifications for new and existing housing, supervise sub-contractors to insure compliance with HUD requirements.
Construction assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Construction Assistants are proficient in Safety Procedures, Construction Projects, and General Contractors. They’re also known for soft skills such as Color vision, Mechanical skills, and Physical strength.
We break down the percentage of Construction Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Safety Procedures, 15%
Inspect the quality and quantity of materials, workmanship, safety procedures and accurate records of job progress.
- Construction Projects, 11%
Participated in the conceptual development of construction projects and maintained oversight of their organization, scheduling and implementation.
- General Contractors, 7%
Prepared and issued site notification letters to general contractors upon confirmation of completion of projects.
- Drywall Installation, 7%
General Construction work Drywall installation Measuring and cutting Following Blueprints
- Equipment Operators, 4%
Signaled equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement and adjustment of machinery, equipment and materials.
- Manual Labor, 4%
Learned to adapt to an unfamiliar working environment involving heavy lifting, intense manual labor, and long hours.
Common skills that a construction assistant uses to do their job include "safety procedures," "construction projects," and "general contractors." You can find details on the most important construction assistant responsibilities below.
Color vision. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a construction assistant to have is color vision. Their role and responsibilities require that "construction laborers and helpers may need to be able to distinguish colors to do their job." Construction assistants often use color vision in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provided direct supervision of construction projects and crews. "
Mechanical skills. Many construction assistant duties rely on mechanical skills. "construction laborers are frequently required to operate and maintain equipment, such as jackhammers.," so a construction assistant will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways construction assistant responsibilities rely on mechanical skills: "conducted maintenance and repairs to structural, mechanical and electrical systems. "
Physical strength. construction assistants are also known for physical strength, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to construction assistant responsibilities, because "construction laborers and helpers must often lift heavy materials or equipment." A construction assistant resume example shows how physical strength is used in the workplace: "performed tasks involiving physical labor at construction site -operates hand and power tools -loaded and unloaded equipment"
Math skills. For certain construction assistant responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of a construction assistant rely on this skill, as "construction laborers and some helpers need to perform basic math calculations while measuring on jobsites or assisting a surveying crew." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what construction assistants do: "service to work design into reality extensive work with engineer specifications, math, surveying, public records, and seismic bracing. "
The three companies that hire the most construction assistants are:
- D.R. Horton6 construction assistants jobs
- HITT Contracting6 construction assistants jobs
- Beazer Homes5 construction assistants jobs
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Construction assistant vs. Prestressed concrete labour
Prestressed concrete labor works at construction sites where they are in charge of handling and processing prestressed concrete materials into structural forms. They typically coordinate with managers and engineers to learn the construction plans and guidelines, design and build structures, prepare materials, and perform corrective measures when necessary. They must also maintain an active communication line with staff, coordinating regularly. Moreover, prestressed concrete labor must abide by the construction site's safety policies and regulations for a safe and efficient work environment.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a construction assistant are more likely to require skills like "safety procedures," "general contractors," "drywall installation," and "equipment operators." On the other hand, a job as a prestressed concrete labour requires skills like "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "scaffolding," and "concrete structures." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Prestressed concrete labours tend to make the most money working in the construction industry, where they earn an average salary of $38,973. In contrast, construction assistants make the biggest average salary, $59,937, in the construction industry.On average, prestressed concrete labours reach similar levels of education than construction assistants. Prestressed concrete labours are 2.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Construction assistant vs. Carpenter/labour
Carpenters/ Laborers do general maintenance tasks and help in mechanical and carpentry-related jobs. Carpenters are versatile workers and perform different construction duties. They construct, install, erect, and repair structures and fixtures. Blueprints and building plans are followed by carpenters to meet their customer's needs. Typically, they install structures and fixtures like windows and molding. They also construct building frameworks like floors, walls, and door frames. Additionally, they operate forklifts, wheel loaders, skid steers, and similar equipment. Qualified applicants need manual dexterity, a good sense of balance as well as hand-eye coordination and must be physically fit.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real construction assistant resumes. While construction assistant responsibilities can utilize skills like "safety procedures," "general contractors," "equipment operators," and "manual labor," carpenter/labours use skills like "roofing," "safety rules," "door installation," and "sheetrock."
Carpenter/labours earn a lower average salary than construction assistants. But carpenter/labours earn the highest pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $42,011. Additionally, construction assistants earn the highest salaries in the construction with average pay of $59,937 annually.carpenter/labours earn similar levels of education than construction assistants in general. They're 1.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Construction assistant vs. Carpenter helper
A carpenter helper is responsible for assisting carpenters with the construction duties, performing construction tasks as needed, and ensuring the completion of the project timely and efficiently. Carpenter helpers maintain the construction tools and equipment, including cleaning the materials before and after every use and inspecting for any possible defects. They also help with measuring surfaces to establish reference points for the installment of systems and other construction materials. A carpenter helper must have excellent communication and organizational skills, having the initiative to perform heavy-duty tasks under minimal supervision.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from construction assistant resumes include skills like "safety procedures," "general contractors," "equipment operators," and "manual labor," whereas a carpenter helper is more likely to list skills in "hand tools," "ladders," "safety rules," and "scaffolding. "
Carpenter helpers earn the best pay in the construction industry, where they command an average salary of $38,276. Construction assistants earn the highest pay from the construction industry, with an average salary of $59,937.Most carpenter helpers achieve a similar degree level compared to construction assistants. For example, they're 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Construction assistant 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.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between construction assistants and general foremen, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a construction assistant might have more use for skills like "drywall installation," "equipment operators," "manual labor," and "construction management." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of general foremen require skills like "osha," "safety rules," "quality standards," and "oversight. "
In general, general foremen earn the most working in the construction industry, with an average salary of $54,753. The highest-paying industry for a construction assistant is the construction industry.The average resume of general foremen showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to construction assistants. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 1.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.3%.Types of construction assistant
Updated January 8, 2025











