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What is a project superintendent and how to become one
A project superintendent's role is to schedule subcontractors, consultants, and vendors to ensure timely completion of project, perform quality control duties and responsibilities, communicate with project team concerning materials submittals, and ensure that the subcontractor is fully executing and complying with contracted work. They coordinate required inspections with local jurisdictions, identify conflicts and communicate them to the project team for resolution, and maintain a daily log of activities on the job site.
The person in this position is desired to have certain skills, such as the ability to identify deficient work and provide resolution, read blueprints, willingness to lift heavy weights on the job, have endurance, and ability to work long and odd hours. They should have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, teamwork, leadership and organizational skills, and professionalism.
Most have a bachelor's or master's degree in civil engineering and construction management. This is not an entry-level job. It requires years of experience. If you are working towards this job, it's important to get the relevant education and skills to beat the competition. It also has a good salary as you will earn on average $80,518 a year, which is equivalent to $38.71 an hour.
What general advice would you give to a project superintendent?
Becky Serbin
Director of Education and Curriculum, National Tile Contractors Association
Avg. Salary $97,517
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 8%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.56%
Asian 2.82%
Black or African American 3.67%
Hispanic or Latino 17.24%
Unknown 4.44%
White 71.27%
Genderfemale 2.66%
male 97.34%
Age - 46American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 46Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Project superintendent career paths
Key steps to become a project superintendent
Explore project superintendent education requirements
Start to develop specific project superintendent skills
Skills Percentages OSHA 11.82% Construction Management 8.17% General Contractors 7.16% Construction Projects 6.64% Quality Standards 6.58% Complete relevant project superintendent training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 2-4 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New project superintendents learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a project superintendent based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real project superintendent resumes.Research project superintendent duties and responsibilities
- Manage design build, MEP, metal frame, dry wall, paint, high end cabinetry, turn- key project.
- Initiate and manage RFI's between owner/engineer/architects.
- Manage third party contractors including safety oversight, environmental design specification compliance, and similar construction specifications and requirements.
- Lead safety compliance by conducting regular safety meetings with subcontractors and strictly enforcing safety policies and procedures, including OSHA regulations.
Prepare your project superintendent resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your project superintendent resume.
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Choose from 10+ customizable project superintendent resume templates
Build a professional project superintendent resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your project superintendent resume.
Apply for project superintendent jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a project superintendent job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first project superintendent job
Are you a project superintendent?
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Average project superintendent salary
The average project superintendent salary in the United States is $97,517 per year or $47 per hour. Project superintendent salaries range between $71,000 and $133,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do project superintendents rate their job?
Project superintendent reviews
I like to work with a team. Satisfaction of seeing the successful completion of a project
Strict deadlines, and stakeholders. Feeling undervalued or underappreciated.
In the field, hands on, working with trades. More custom oriented
Office work, did not like doing commercial construction and been building custom homes for 35 years.
I enjoy problem-solving and identifying a path to completing a complex project. I like to ensure that moving parts come together smoothly and communicating successes and celebrating with the team.
Without the right support from project sponsors, a project manager is doomed to failure. There is an enormous amount of responsibility on a project manager to deliver a product on time and on budget, though without proper authority or backing, it's basically wheel spinning.
Updated January 8, 2025
