Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between project managers and general contractors 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 $66,602 average annual salary of a general contractor.
The top three skills for a project manager include project management, project scope and customer service. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.
| Project Manager | General Contractor | |
| Yearly salary | $91,578 | $66,602 |
| Hourly rate | $44.03 | $32.02 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 167,116 | 66,218 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.17 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 47 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | 8 |
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.
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.
Project managers and general contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Manager | General Contractor | |
| Average salary | $91,578 | $66,602 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $129,000 | Between $41,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a project manager and a general contractor in terms of educational background:
| Project Manager | General Contractor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between project managers' and general contractors' demographics:
| Project Manager | General Contractor | |
| Average age | 47 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 10% | 4% |