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Construction management assistant vs general contractor

The differences between construction management assistants 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 management assistant and a general contractor. Additionally, a general contractor has an average salary of $66,602, which is higher than the $33,241 average annual salary of a construction management assistant.

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

Construction management assistant vs general contractor overview

Construction Management AssistantGeneral Contractor
Yearly salary$33,241$66,602
Hourly rate$15.98$32.02
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs88,24166,218
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age4646
Years of experience88

Construction management assistant vs general contractor salary

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

Construction Management AssistantGeneral Contractor
Average salary$33,241$66,602
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $45,000Between $41,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between construction management assistant and general contractor education

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

Construction Management AssistantGeneral Contractor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Construction management assistant vs general contractor demographics

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

Construction Management AssistantGeneral Contractor
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 79.5% Female, 20.5%Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.2% 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 Percentage4%4%

Differences between construction management assistant and general contractor duties and responsibilities

Construction management assistant example responsibilities.

  • Spearhead cross-functional initiative to achieve commercial build outs, demolition, remodel, restoration, damage assessment and commercial property maintenance.
  • Follow the procedure of ASTM and TxDOT testing and preparing geotechnical test reports.
  • Coordinate with project engineers, managers and estimators to complete preconstruction request for information (RFI) log and submit RFI attachments
  • Spearhead cross-functional initiative to achieve commercial build outs, demolition, remodel, restoration, damage assessment and commercial property maintenance.
  • Implement LEED practices in commercial and industrial projects.
  • Adjust hand-wheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms.

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.
  • Show more

Construction management assistant vs general contractor skills

Common construction management assistant skills
  • Contract Management, 12%
  • Construction Management, 7%
  • Shop Drawings, 6%
  • Construction Sites, 6%
  • Real Estate, 6%
  • Safety Codes, 6%
Common general contractor skills
  • Plumbing, 17%
  • Safety Regulations, 12%
  • Contract Negotiations, 11%
  • Drywall Installation, 7%
  • Construction Projects, 4%
  • Payroll, 4%

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