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The differences between senior project managers construction and general superintendents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a senior project manager construction, becoming a general superintendent takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior project manager construction has an average salary of $120,505, which is higher than the $75,102 average annual salary of a general superintendent.
The top three skills for a senior project manager construction include project management, construction projects and real estate. The most important skills for a general superintendent are OSHA, construction management, and project management.
| Senior Project Manager Construction | General Superintendent | |
| Yearly salary | $120,505 | $75,102 |
| Hourly rate | $57.94 | $36.11 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 129,819 | 92,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
Senior Project Managers for Construction oversee the construction progress on a particular project site. They manage the whole project and ensure that the project timeline is being followed. They delegate activities and ensure that there is movement on a daily basis. They coordinate with contractors and foremen to ensure that the construction is meeting the project timeline. Senior Project Managers ensure that all the needed materials are readily available and that company resources are well-managed. They also direct tasks for junior project managers and are expected to be on top of occupational safety and health procedures.
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. They also have other administrative duties, such as coordinating with contractors and suppliers, monitoring the inventory of materials, purchasing supplies according to project requirements, developing reports, conducting inspections, and implementing safety policies and regulations.
Senior project managers construction and general superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Project Manager Construction | General Superintendent | |
| Average salary | $120,505 | $75,102 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $173,000 | Between $52,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Delaware |
| Best paying company | The Weitz Company | Southern California Edison |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Energy |
There are a few differences between a senior project manager construction and a general superintendent in terms of educational background:
| Senior Project Manager Construction | General Superintendent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior project managers construction' and general superintendents' demographics:
| Senior Project Manager Construction | General Superintendent | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% | Male, 97.3% Female, 2.7% |
| 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, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 10% |