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Construction manager vs contract project manager

The differences between construction managers and contract project managers 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 manager and a contract project manager. Additionally, a construction manager has an average salary of $81,313, which is higher than the $81,263 average annual salary of a contract project manager.

The top three skills for a construction manager include project management, construction management and construction projects. The most important skills for a contract project manager are project management, project scope, and contract project.

Construction manager vs contract project manager overview

Construction ManagerContract Project Manager
Yearly salary$81,313$81,263
Hourly rate$39.09$39.07
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs44,431159,765
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age4646
Years of experience88

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 a contract project manager do?

A contract project manager is an executive professional who provides project management and business analysis to fill the needs of an organization. Contract project managers are required to monitor and inspect contract projects to maintain a high level of safety and quality traffic control in highly variable conditions. They assist contract project administration with the review of project progress reports. Contract project managers must also manage the relationship between clients and the organization while monitoring the progress of the project to ensure that it complies with the terms of the corporate contract.

Construction manager vs contract project manager salary

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

Construction ManagerContract Project Manager
Average salary$81,313$81,263
Salary rangeBetween $54,000 And $120,000Between $53,000 And $124,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateHawaiiMassachusetts
Best paying companyMetaPRO Unlimited
Best paying industryTechnologyHealth Care

Differences between construction manager and contract project manager education

There are a few differences between a construction manager and a contract project manager in terms of educational background:

Construction ManagerContract Project Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Construction manager vs contract project manager demographics

Here are the differences between construction managers' and contract project managers' demographics:

Construction ManagerContract Project Manager
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 92.0% Female, 8.0%Male, 66.1% Female, 33.9%
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, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.8% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between construction manager and contract project manager 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.
  • Show more

Contract project manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage weekly CMS build outs from feature prioritization through implementation including test cases and training documentation.
  • Manage RFI's, field directives, construction changes, payments, and billing associate with project.
  • Manage the day to day duties of the turn-key/design build/plan and specification and retrofit-installation of the HVAC contracting department.
  • Manage, monitors and measures project portfolio status, recommending corrective action as necessary and communicate portfolio status to their management.
  • Install hundreds of replacement windows and doors.
  • Install windows, doors, and hardware for commercial and residential projects.
  • Show more

Construction manager vs contract project manager skills

Common construction manager skills
  • Project Management, 12%
  • Construction Management, 12%
  • Construction Projects, 9%
  • OSHA, 5%
  • Customer Service, 4%
  • Oversight, 4%
Common contract project manager skills
  • Project Management, 21%
  • Project Scope, 7%
  • Contract Project, 5%
  • HR, 4%
  • Infrastructure, 4%
  • Project Budget, 4%

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