Construction supervisor vs general contractor

The differences between construction supervisors and general contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a construction supervisor, becoming a general contractor takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a general contractor has an average salary of $66,602, which is higher than the $62,881 average annual salary of a construction supervisor.

The top three skills for a construction supervisor include customer service, OSHA and project management. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.

Construction supervisor vs general contractor overview

	Construction Supervisor	General Contractor
Yearly salary	$62,881	$66,602
Hourly rate	$30.23	$32.02
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	32,487	66,218
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	8

What does a construction supervisor do?

Construction supervisors ensure construction team members work jointly to deliver excellent work on time. They provide team-building sessions and training and monitor the construction processes. These professionals ensure the construction processes take place every time as per the safety regulations and health regulations. Besides creating budgets, project plans, reports and delivering them to the appropriate stakeholders, construction supervisors also perform routine site, material, and equipment inspections. They always remain updated about the construction advancements and construction safety codes.

What does a general contractor do?

The job of general contractors is to oversee the day-to-day operations of projects in the organization. General contractors are considered seasoned experts when it comes to home improvement. They provide the material, equipment, labor, and services for a construction project. Often, they hire specialized subcontractors who will be working on some part of the construction work. They should have attained a bachelor's or associate's degree in construction management. Their experience in the industry is highly coveted.

Construction supervisor vs general contractor salary

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

	Construction Supervisor	General Contractor
Average salary	$62,881	$66,602
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $92,000	Between $41,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	SBA Communications	-
Best paying industry	Energy	-

Differences between construction supervisor and general contractor education

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

	Construction Supervisor	General Contractor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Construction supervisor vs general contractor demographics

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

	Construction Supervisor	General Contractor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7%	Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 22.9% Asian, 1.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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 Percentage	2%	4%

Differences between construction supervisor and general contractor duties and responsibilities

Construction supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage third party contractors, including safety oversight, control inspection and environmental design specification compliance, and also direct consultants.
Conduct site visits to ensure OSHA and local safety regulations are adhered to in accordance with company policy.
Perform caulking tasks which include: priming, air barrier on walls and utilizing mechanical tools.
Perform daily project walk-through to assess safety and cleanliness, thus ensuring compliance with OSHA regulations and insurance requirement.
Maintain the church building and school including general repairs, preventative maintenance, HVAC and scheduling contractors for repairs as needed.
Purchase framing, siding, cornice, roofing, finish carpentry and all other materials necessary, maintaining effective inventory control.

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.

Construction supervisor vs general contractor skills

Common construction supervisor skills

Customer Service, 10%
OSHA, 8%
Project Management, 8%
Work Ethic, 6%
Construction Management, 5%
Construction Sites, 5%

Common general contractor skills

Plumbing, 17%
Safety Regulations, 12%
Contract Negotiations, 11%
Drywall Installation, 7%
Construction Projects, 4%
Payroll, 4%

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Construction Supervisor vs General Contractor

Updated January 8, 2025

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