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The differences between construction superintendents and general superintendents 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 superintendent, becoming a general superintendent takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a construction superintendent has an average salary of $87,486, which is higher than the $75,102 average annual salary of a general superintendent.
The top three skills for a construction superintendent include OSHA, construction management and project management. The most important skills for a general superintendent are OSHA, construction management, and project management.
| Construction Superintendent | General Superintendent | |
| Yearly salary | $87,486 | $75,102 |
| Hourly rate | $42.06 | $36.11 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 34,822 | 92,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
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.
A general superintendent is primarily in charge of overseeing projects and programs, ensuring operations adhere to standards and requirements. In the construction industry, a general superintendent supervises the daily procedures in a construction site to ensure the project's completion within budget, schedule, and quality standards. They also have other administrative duties, such as coordinating with contractors and suppliers, monitoring the inventory of materials, purchasing supplies according to project requirements, developing reports, conducting inspections, and implementing safety policies and regulations.
Construction superintendents and general superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Construction Superintendent | General Superintendent | |
| Average salary | $87,486 | $75,102 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $123,000 | Between $52,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate | Southern California Edison |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a construction superintendent and a general superintendent in terms of educational background:
| Construction Superintendent | General Superintendent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between construction superintendents' and general superintendents' demographics:
| Construction Superintendent | General Superintendent | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0% | Male, 97.3% Female, 2.7% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 10% |