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Construction supervisor vs project manager

The differences between construction supervisors and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, 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 project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.

Construction supervisor vs project manager overview

Construction SupervisorProject Manager
Yearly salary$62,881$91,578
Hourly rate$30.23$44.03
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs32,487167,116
Job satisfaction-4.17
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4647
Years of experience--

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 project manager do?

Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.

Construction supervisor vs project manager salary

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

Construction SupervisorProject Manager
Average salary$62,881$91,578
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $92,000Between $64,000 And $129,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companySBA CommunicationsThe Citadel
Best paying industryEnergyTechnology

Differences between construction supervisor and project manager education

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

Construction SupervisorProject Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college-University of Pennsylvania

Construction supervisor vs project manager demographics

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

Construction SupervisorProject Manager
Average age4647
Gender ratioMale, 94.3% Female, 5.7%Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1%
Race ratioBlack 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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage2%10%

Differences between construction supervisor and project manager 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.
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Project manager example responsibilities.

  • Schedule and manage the GCP audit process.
  • Define, develop and manage metrics and KPIs systems for new product business group.
  • Manage the application process for the FDA medical device, minority and small business certifications.
  • Manage multiple projects and resources simultaneously while mentoring, coaching and implementing best practices, SOX and HIPAA compliance standards.
  • Lead teams using the Informatica ETL tool for the design and development of multiple financial and risk enterprise data warehouses.
  • Administer and manage Salesforce requirements.
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Construction supervisor vs project manager skills

Common construction supervisor skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • OSHA, 8%
  • Project Management, 8%
  • Work Ethic, 6%
  • Construction Management, 5%
  • Construction Sites, 5%
Common project manager skills
  • Project Management, 23%
  • Project Scope, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Infrastructure, 5%
  • Status Reports, 4%
  • Risk Management, 3%

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