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Construction consultant vs general superintendent

The differences between construction consultants and general superintendents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a construction consultant, becoming a general superintendent takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a general superintendent has an average salary of $75,102, which is higher than the $68,461 average annual salary of a construction consultant.

The top three skills for a construction consultant include construction management, general contractors and cost estimates. The most important skills for a general superintendent are OSHA, construction management, and project management.

Construction consultant vs general superintendent overview

Construction ConsultantGeneral Superintendent
Yearly salary$68,461$75,102
Hourly rate$32.91$36.11
Growth rate8%6%
Number of jobs35,53792,424
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age4644
Years of experience86

What does a construction consultant do?

Construction consultants are experts in the construction industry that offer their clients advice on architecture, contracts, project management, etc. These consultants provide definitions of what projects entail, advise how to set up projects, and inspect the contractor's work. They need strong communication skills, business skills, and teamwork skills to do their jobs efficiently. Their job is to inspect every phase of a project to ensure that they follow the agreed design and to approve or deny changes before they are applied.

What does a general superintendent do?

A general superintendent is primarily in charge of overseeing projects and programs, ensuring operations adhere to standards and requirements. In the construction industry, a general superintendent supervises the daily procedures in a construction site to ensure the project's completion within budget, schedule, and quality standards. They also have other administrative duties, such as coordinating with contractors and suppliers, monitoring the inventory of materials, purchasing supplies according to project requirements, developing reports, conducting inspections, and implementing safety policies and regulations.

Construction consultant vs general superintendent salary

Construction consultants and general superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.

Construction ConsultantGeneral Superintendent
Average salary$68,461$75,102
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $98,000Between $52,000 And $107,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateCaliforniaDelaware
Best paying companyAppleSouthern California Edison
Best paying industryTechnologyEnergy

Differences between construction consultant and general superintendent education

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

Construction ConsultantGeneral Superintendent
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoUniversity of Pennsylvania

Construction consultant vs general superintendent demographics

Here are the differences between construction consultants' and general superintendents' demographics:

Construction ConsultantGeneral Superintendent
Average age4644
Gender ratioMale, 90.5% Female, 9.5%Male, 97.3% Female, 2.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 70.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage4%10%

Differences between construction consultant and general superintendent duties and responsibilities

Construction consultant example responsibilities.

  • Support development and manage RFP's for new and renovation work for select clients.
  • Manage third party contractors, including safety oversight, control inspection and environmental design specification compliance, and also direct consultants.
  • Operate truck-mounted cranes and rough-terrain forklift to set new HVAC equipment, and to facilitate delivery of new construction materials.
  • Provide CPM scheduling consulting services to owners, contractors, and government agencies.
  • Coordinate full spectrum of interactions with specialty subcontractors such as structural engineers, electricians, HVAC and plumbers.
  • Provide a 3-D model of customer building project using AutoCAD design and supply full list of project supplies.
  • Show more

General superintendent example responsibilities.

  • Manage and coordinate all aspects of HVAC relate jobs for a mechanical contractor.
  • Manage the field installation of pipe, instrumentation and HVAC systems throughout the plant.
  • Implement and direct shipping and receiving functions and manage salaried and hourly UAW staff in both functions.
  • Develop and manage instrumental and equipment proper handling regulations in compliance CLIA.
  • Manage complex logistics, including procuring materials and navigating space constraints, to successfully complete project amid concurrent construction of building.
  • Lead and develop direct reports ensuring they are competently skil to perform their QA roles.
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Construction consultant vs general superintendent skills

Common construction consultant skills
  • Construction Management, 14%
  • General Contractors, 8%
  • Cost Estimates, 6%
  • HVAC, 6%
  • Real Estate, 5%
  • Project Management, 5%
Common general superintendent skills
  • OSHA, 11%
  • Construction Management, 7%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Quality Standards, 5%
  • Excellent Organizational, 5%
  • General Contractors, 5%

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