General contractor vs building contractor

The differences between general contractors and building contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a general contractor, becoming a building contractor takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a building contractor has an average salary of $72,354, which is higher than the $66,602 average annual salary of a general contractor.

The top three skills for a general contractor include plumbing, safety regulations and contract negotiations. The most important skills for a building contractor are plumbing, contract terms, and sub contractors.

General contractor vs building contractor overview

	General Contractor	Building Contractor
Yearly salary	$66,602	$72,354
Hourly rate	$32.02	$34.79
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	66,218	16,283
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	-

General contractor vs building contractor salary

General contractors and building contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Contractor	Building Contractor
Average salary	$66,602	$72,354
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $107,000	Between $52,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between general contractor and building contractor education

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

	General Contractor	Building Contractor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	-

General contractor vs building contractor demographics

Here are the differences between general contractors' and building contractors' demographics:

	General Contractor	Building Contractor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4%	Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 1.5% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	4%	2%

Differences between general contractor and building contractor duties and responsibilities

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.

Building contractor example responsibilities.

Utilize QuickBooks to manage company finances, including project invoices, material purchases, and accounts receivable.
Install cedar shakes and various asphalt roofs, including- 3 tab shingles, malarkey shingles, and architectural shingles.
Mop and pour hot asphalt or tar onto roof base when applying asphalt or tar and gravel to roof.
Install, update, troubleshoot and/or repair trade-specific/project relate assignments.
Utilize industry knowledge to anticipate and communicate changes and adjustments effecting project plans, specifications or design.
Automate company records in QuickBooks resulting in more accurate reflection of company income and expenses

General contractor vs building contractor skills

Common general contractor skills

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

Common building contractor skills

Plumbing, 17%
Contract Terms, 8%
Sub Contractors, 7%
Windows, 6%
Building Repairs, 5%
Payroll, 4%

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General Contractor vs Building Contractor

Updated January 8, 2025

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