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The differences between general contractors and field managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a general contractor and a field manager. Additionally, a field manager has an average salary of $68,695, 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 field manager are minor maintenance, patients, and customer service.
| General Contractor | Field Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $66,602 | $68,695 |
| Hourly rate | $32.02 | $33.03 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 66,218 | 79,908 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
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.
A field manager is an individual who manages a staff of field representatives that travel to customers' sites to promote their products or services. Field managers must hire new employees and arrange in-house and vendor training programs to ensure they have a full understanding of their responsibilities. They must evaluate all their field employees and generate reports highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the team. Field managers may work in different industries that have outside sales representatives such as pharmaceutical companies, computer repair companies, or HVAC companies.
General contractors and field managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Contractor | Field Manager | |
| Average salary | $66,602 | $68,695 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $107,000 | Between $43,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Nevada |
| Best paying company | - | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | - | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a general contractor and a field manager in terms of educational background:
| General Contractor | Field Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between general contractors' and field managers' demographics:
| General Contractor | Field Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% |
| 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, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |