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Construction Superintendent Vs Contract Project Manager

The differences between construction superintendents 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 superintendent and a contract project manager. Additionally, a construction superintendent has an average salary of $87,486, which is higher than the $81,263 average annual salary of a contract project manager.

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

Construction superintendent vs contract project manager overview

Construction SuperintendentContract Project Manager
Yearly Salary$87,486$81,263
Hourly rate$42.06$39.07
Growth Rate8%8%
Number Of Jobs34,822159,765
Job Satisfaction--
Most Common DegreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average Age4646
Years Of Experience88

What does a Construction Superintendent do?

A construction superintendent's role is to oversee all construction plans and operations, ensuring quality completion within a specified timeframe. Some of their responsibilities are to inspect all sites, coordinate with contractors and engineers, manage the budget and expenditure, purchase necessary materials and equipment, and make schedules. Aside from producing daily progress reports, a construction superintendent also addresses issues and concerns should there be any. Furthermore, they must implement all safety regulations and policies to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

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 superintendent vs contract project manager salary

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

Construction SuperintendentContract Project Manager
Average Salary$87,486$81,263
Salary RangeBetween $61,000 And $123,000Between $53,000 And $124,000
Highest Paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest Paying StateHawaiiMassachusetts
Best Paying CompanyColdwell Banker Morris Real EstatePRO Unlimited
Best Paying IndustryEnergyHealth Care

Differences between construction superintendent and contract project manager education

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

Construction SuperintendentContract Project Manager
Most Common DegreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most Common MajorBusinessBusiness
Most Common CollegeCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Construction superintendent vs contract project manager demographics

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

Construction SuperintendentContract Project Manager
Average Age4646
Gender RatioMale, 97.0% Female, 3.0%Male, 66.1% Female, 33.9%
Race RatioBlack or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.0% 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 superintendent and contract project manager duties and responsibilities

Construction Superintendent Example Responsibilities.

  • Manage crew on apartment, condo and town-home remodel and restoration projects.
  • Manage the MEP coordination meetings, as well as performing mechanical superintendent duties.
  • Manage the supervising of construction and installation of HVAC restoration in historical government hospital buildings.
  • Manage complex logistics, including procuring materials and navigating space constraints, to successfully complete project amid concurrent construction of building.
  • Communicate with EOR/Architect/Construction PM/Superintendent/fab shop on all shop drawings as needed to resolve RFI's and change orders.
  • Avoid disputes & claims through comprehensive proposals, email correspondence, RFI's, & daily reporting.
  • 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.
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Construction superintendent vs contract project manager skills

Common Construction Superintendent Skills
  • OSHA, 13%
  • Construction Management, 8%
  • Project Management, 6%
  • Construction Sites, 5%
  • Safety Program, 5%
  • Quality Standards, 5%
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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