How to hire a senior construction manager

How to hire a senior construction manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior construction manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior construction manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior construction manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior construction manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the senior construction manager you need to hire. Certain senior construction manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior construction manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior construction managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of senior construction managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Senior Construction Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Construction Manager	Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise construction projects from start to finish.	$33-83
   General Superintendent	A general superintendent is primarily in charge of overseeing projects and programs, ensuring operations adhere to standards and requirements. In the construction industry, a general superintendent supervises the daily procedures in a construction site to ensure the project's completion within budget, schedule, and quality standards... Show more	$25-51
   Project Superintendent	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... Show more	$34-63

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • OSHA
   • Project Management
   • Construction Projects
   • Design
   • Oversight
   • Infrastructure
   • SR
   • Project Scope
   • Construction Contracts
   • Real Estate
   • Project Budget
   • Project Controls
   • Value Engineering
   • General Contractors

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Conduct safety meetings, SWPPP inspections, and manage RFI systems.
   • Manage complete design and construction coordination of company's retail properties throughout the Washington/Baltimore area market.
   • Review RFI, payment application, change orders and perform budget and cost analysis.
   • Provide safety raining to all construction personnel, which comply with safety protocols for the job site and OSHA.
   • Project Manager/Superintendent for phase construction renovations that consist of plumbing, mechanical and electrical system replacement and upgrade.
   • Coordinate implementation of construction works completely to satisfy approve architectural, structural, electrical, mechanical and plumbing design plans.

   More senior construction manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the senior construction manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A senior construction manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a senior construction manager in Minnesota may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level senior construction manager. Additionally, a senior construction manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average senior construction manager salary

   $110,926yearly

   $53.33 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior construction manager salary

   $70,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

   Average senior construction manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$143,251	$69
   2	Hawaii	$138,288	$66
   3	New York	$126,849	$61
   4	Texas	$120,032	$58
   5	Oregon	$119,042	$57
   6	Maryland	$117,503	$56
   7	Connecticut	$116,302	$56
   8	Massachusetts	$114,753	$55
   9	Michigan	$108,779	$52
   10	Arizona	$107,762	$52
   11	Washington	$106,320	$51
   12	District of Columbia	$98,405	$47
   13	Tennessee	$95,536	$46
   14	Georgia	$94,923	$46
   15	North Carolina	$94,158	$45
   16	Colorado	$91,853	$44
   17	Florida	$87,457	$42
   18	Oklahoma	$84,194	$40
   19	Nebraska	$75,950	$37
   20	Arkansas	$75,870	$36

   Average senior construction manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Ross Stores	$133,238	$64.06	4
   2	Ameresco	$133,209	$64.04	13
   3	Amazon	$131,420	$63.18	302
   4	Mears Transportation Group	$127,424	$61.26	4
   5	Hines Corporation	$125,898	$60.53
   6	Pattern Energy Group	$122,890	$59.08	2
   7	Hargrove Engineers + Constructors	$122,117	$58.71	7
   8	Parsons	$121,954	$58.63	87
   9	Fluor Corporation	$121,582	$58.45	29
   10	SSOE Group	$121,182	$58.26
   11	Core States Group	$118,969	$57.20
   12	Lennar	$118,831	$57.13	24
   13	Kkcs	$117,634	$56.55
   14	Empire State Development Corporation	$117,587	$56.53
   15	Stanford Health Care	$117,475	$56.48	9
   16	American Electric Power	$116,070	$55.80
   17	GEI Consultants	$115,283	$55.42	2
   18	VERTICOM	$115,241	$55.40
   19	HNTB	$115,211	$55.39	95
   20	McDermott International	$114,610	$55.10	1

4. Writing a senior construction manager job description

   A job description for a senior construction manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a senior construction manager job description:

   Senior construction manager job description example

   Job DescriptionSenior Field Construction Manager If you are a Senior Field Construction Manager with experience, please read on!Top Reasons to Work with UsWe specialize in building the finest custom and semi-custom homes in the Indianapolis area. We pride ourselves in treating its customers to an intimate and exciting building experience. With a dynamic atmosphere, talented employees, and a fresh, creative culture, We look to a very bright future.What You Will Be Doing- Managing job site material and resources
   - Monitoring and direct management of onsite personnel
   - Responsible for on-site safety and procedures
   - Responsible for cost management and accountability
   - Management of quality inspections and site reviews
   - Direct and frequent communication with clients, vendors, trades, architecture, purchasing, selections, accounting, and management
   - Responsible for ensuring projects are completed accurately, on time, and within budget, while achieving the highest client satisfaction What You Need for this Position- Bachelor's Degree in Building Construction or related field preferred.
   - Minimum of 5 years of direct custom construction management preferred.
   - Exceptional aptitude and experience in the Home Building Industry highly preferred.
   - Strong communication skills, organized, self-motivated and disciplined individual with experience in the home building industry.
   - Ability to stay on top of and meet deadlines.
   - Attention to detail, and strong organizational skills are a must.
   - Must be competent with basic computer programs and use of mobile communication applications.
   - Occasional moderate lifting and physical activities required.
   - Reliable transportation required.What's In It for You- $70-80k
   - Dental, vision, health, and life insurance
   - 401k match up to 4%
   - PTOSo, if you are a Senior Field Construction Manager with experience, please apply today! - Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.
   
   CyberCoders, Inc is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   Your Right to Work – In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find senior construction managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior construction manager job on Zippia to find and recruit senior construction manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit senior construction managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior construction manager

   Once you've found the senior construction manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new senior construction manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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