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Construction Manager Vs Architect

The differences between construction managers and architects 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 manager, becoming an architect takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an architect has an average salary of $86,635, which is higher than the $81,313 average annual salary of a construction manager.

The top three skills for a construction manager include project management, construction management and construction projects. The most important skills for an architect are cloud, java, and infrastructure.

Construction manager vs architect overview

Construction ManagerArchitect
Yearly Salary$81,313$86,635
Hourly rate$39.09$41.65
Growth Rate8%3%
Number Of Jobs44,43194,621
Job Satisfaction-3
Most Common DegreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average Age4645
Years Of Experience84

What does a Construction Manager do?

A construction manager oversees a construction site and its workers, ensuring efficiency in the workforce and overall operations. They work in an office within the construction site to meet and coordinate with architects, contractors, and clients. They must also hire the required workforce, identify and resolve issues, maintain daily reports and communication with clients, and prioritize a safe work environment. Above all, they must see that all of the required protocols are met, including the target completion time and budget.

What does an architect do?

Architects are licensed professionals who specialize in art and science of design, building constructions, and structures. They play a vital role in the construction and not only responsible for the appearance but also the safety of users. They ensure that every structure is functional, safe, cost-effective, and suit the needs of the future occupants. They closely monitor the working progress to make sure that the project is built according to plan. Some architects are focused mainly on creating designs while some are exclusive in the production of building plans or "blueprints".

Construction manager vs architect salary

Construction managers and architects have different pay scales, as shown below.

Construction ManagerArchitect
Average Salary$81,313$86,635
Salary RangeBetween $54,000 And $120,000Between $54,000 And $137,000
Highest Paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest Paying StateHawaiiAlaska
Best Paying CompanyMetaMeta
Best Paying IndustryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between construction manager and architect education

There are a few differences between a construction manager and an architect in terms of educational background:

Construction ManagerArchitect
Most Common DegreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most Common MajorBusinessArchitecture
Most Common CollegeCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCornell University

Construction manager vs architect demographics

Here are the differences between construction managers' and architects' demographics:

Construction ManagerArchitect
Average Age4645
Gender RatioMale, 92.0% Female, 8.0%Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3%
Race RatioBlack or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 16.0% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage4%15%

Differences between construction manager and architect duties and responsibilities

Construction Manager Example Responsibilities.

  • Manage three geotechnical engineers, a general contractor , 45 sub-contractors, and consultants.
  • Manage all contractor-relate tasks from RFI submissions through payment administration.
  • Manage and coordinate architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers and subcontractors technical departments.
  • Manage complete design and construction coordination of company's retail properties throughout the Washington/Baltimore area market.
  • Manage third party contractors, including safety oversight, control inspection and environmental design specification compliance, and also direct consultants.
  • Implement and maintain construction safety regulations according to OSHA requirements, and ensure environmental protection regulatory compliance with engineering standards.
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Architect Example Responsibilities.

  • Manage Daimler resources for development of RFC programs
  • Manage overall testing activities withing the group including functinal, system and regression testing.
  • Manage the company website using HTML and CSS to produce an easily read website that customers can access more intuitively.
  • Manage GitLab and Jenkins deployment environment to support automate AWS- development software builds.
  • Lead re-architecture and implementation of cloud solution for enterprise auto-backup of individual computing devices.
  • Provide insight and manage all technology relate aspects with presentations and communications at Sr. management and CxO level.
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Construction manager vs architect skills

Common Construction Manager Skills
  • Project Management, 12%
  • Construction Management, 12%
  • Construction Projects, 9%
  • OSHA, 5%
  • Customer Service, 4%
  • Oversight, 4%
Common Architect Skills
  • Cloud, 10%
  • Java, 8%
  • Infrastructure, 7%
  • Azure, 5%
  • AWS, 5%
  • Digital Transformation, 5%

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