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The differences between construction workers and general contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general contractor has an average salary of $66,602, which is higher than the $31,842 average annual salary of a construction worker.
The top three skills for a construction worker include roofing, safety rules and sheetrock. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.
Construction Worker | General Contractor | |
Yearly Salary | $31,842 | $66,602 |
Hourly rate | $15.31 | $32.02 |
Growth Rate | 4% | 8% |
Number Of Jobs | 53,067 | 66,218 |
Job Satisfaction | 4.33 | - |
Most Common Degree | High School Diploma, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
Average Age | 39 | 46 |
Years Of Experience | - | 8 |
Construction workers are part of a crew laborers responsible for a number of easy to extremely challenging and hazardous on-site constructions tasks such as preparing the area, clearing debris, building scaffolding, bracing, loading and unloading building materials, and assisting with operating heavy equipment like concrete mixers. They specialize in a variety of occupations that involve building homes and businesses, roads and highways, tearing down properties, removing high-risk materials, and in the digging of tunnels and mine shafts. They test machinery and equipment to ensure they are working properly. They may also transport stocks and materials from suppliers and vehicles to the job site.
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 workers and general contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.
Construction Worker | General Contractor | |
Average Salary | $31,842 | $66,602 |
Salary Range | Between $23,000 And $43,000 | Between $41,000 And $107,000 |
Highest Paying City | New York, NY | - |
Highest Paying State | New York | - |
Best Paying Company | CDM Smith | - |
Best Paying Industry | Construction | - |
There are a few differences between a construction worker and a general contractor in terms of educational background:
Construction Worker | General Contractor | |
Most Common Degree | High School Diploma, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
Most Common Major | Business | Business |
Most Common College | - | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between construction workers' and general contractors' demographics:
Construction Worker | General Contractor | |
Average Age | 39 | 46 |
Gender Ratio | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
Race Ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 27.7% Asian, 2.8% White, 52.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% | 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% |