Construction contractor vs general contractor

The differences between construction contractors and general contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a construction contractor, becoming a general contractor takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a construction contractor has an average salary of $67,630, which is higher than the $66,602 average annual salary of a general contractor.

The top three skills for a construction contractor include plumbing, safety regulations and general contractors. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.

Construction contractor vs general contractor overview

	Construction Contractor	General Contractor
Yearly salary	$67,630	$66,602
Hourly rate	$32.51	$32.02
Growth rate	4%	8%
Number of jobs	42,077	66,218
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	8

Construction contractor vs general contractor salary

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

	Construction Contractor	General Contractor
Average salary	$67,630	$66,602
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $88,000	Between $41,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between construction contractor and general contractor education

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

	Construction Contractor	General Contractor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Construction contractor vs general contractor demographics

Here are the differences between construction contractors' and general contractors' demographics:

	Construction Contractor	General Contractor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8%	Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 1.5% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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	2%	4%

Differences between construction contractor and general contractor duties and responsibilities

Construction contractor example responsibilities.

Manage and decide all remodel activities.
Write, submit & maintain RFI's.
Perform diagnostics, repairs and replacement of HVAC systems.
Resolve customer complaints regarding HVAC relate issues customer service.
Coordinate estimates, take-offs, RFI's, purchase and work orders, and change orders.
Review work procedure, work specification and job safety analysis (JSA) submit by employer before executing any job.

General contractor example responsibilities.

Manage the repair/replacement of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and structural of primarily historical residences.
Manage third party contractors including safety oversight, environmental design specification compliance, and similar construction specifications and requirements.
Perform electrical, mechanical (HVAC), plumbing, framing, roofing and finishing construction for residential and commercial buildings.
Remodel restaurants, which include painting, dry wall, tiling, plumbing, electrical and laying carpet.
Assist and perform all duties with installation of cabinets, flooring, sheetrock, framing, concrete, and basic plumbing.
Experience in roofing, painting, digging of footers, and tile setting.

Construction contractor vs general contractor skills

Common construction contractor skills

Plumbing, 16%
Safety Regulations, 13%
General Contractors, 11%
Drywall Installation, 8%
Construction Projects, 5%
Sheetrock, 4%

Common general contractor skills

Plumbing, 17%
Safety Regulations, 12%
Contract Negotiations, 11%
Drywall Installation, 7%
Construction Projects, 4%
Payroll, 4%

Construction Contractor vs. similar jobs

Construction Contractor related careers

Construction Contractor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Construction and Extraction Industry
Construction Contractor
Construction Contractor vs General Contractor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse construction and extraction jobs