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The differences between material project managers and general contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a material project manager, becoming a general contractor takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a material project manager has an average salary of $86,465, which is higher than the $66,602 average annual salary of a general contractor.
The top three skills for a material project manager include asphalt, project management and construction materials. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.
| Material Project Manager | General Contractor | |
| Yearly salary | $86,465 | $66,602 |
| Hourly rate | $41.57 | $32.02 |
| Growth rate | -6% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 127,323 | 66,218 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 47 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
A material project manager acts as the contact person for various projects of a company. This person is responsible for providing information, updates, and reports on the status and progress. The material project manager also monitors the project from start to finish and ensures that all materials needed for the project are available, delivered on time, and is according to the quality set by the company's quality assurance team. Aside from this primary task, the material project manager also oversees the employees working under the production department and ensures optimal productivity and constant output.
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.
Material project managers and general contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Project Manager | General Contractor | |
| Average salary | $86,465 | $66,602 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $116,000 | Between $41,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Applied Materials | - |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | - |
There are a few differences between a material project manager and a general contractor in terms of educational background:
| Material Project Manager | General Contractor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| 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 material project managers' and general contractors' demographics:
| Material Project Manager | General Contractor | |
| Average age | 47 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 11% | 4% |