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The differences between project superintendents and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project superintendent has an average salary of $97,517, which is higher than the $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.
The top three skills for a project superintendent include OSHA, construction management and general contractors. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Project Superintendent | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $97,517 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $46.88 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 71,449 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | - |
The construction or project superintendent's role is to oversee the operations of construction sites, from the planning phase to completion. They have varied duties and responsibilities based on specific projects that include scheduling and budgeting, communicating and negotiating with external partners, and acquiring materials and equipment. A construction superintendent also earns construction permits, resolving on-site emergencies and issues, and supervising staff. This position requires several skills, including a degree in construction management or a similar field, relevant experience, and in-depth knowledge of construction processes and operations.
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.
Project superintendents and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Superintendent | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $97,517 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $133,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hartford, CT | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | The Weitz Company | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Technology |
There are a few differences between a project superintendent and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Project Superintendent | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between project superintendents' and project managers' demographics:
| Project Superintendent | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.3% Female, 2.7% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 10% |