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Site supervisor vs general superintendent

The differences between site supervisors and general superintendents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a site supervisor, becoming a general superintendent takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a general superintendent has an average salary of $75,102, which is higher than the $48,250 average annual salary of a site supervisor.

The top three skills for a site supervisor include customer service, safety procedures and incident reports. The most important skills for a general superintendent are OSHA, construction management, and project management.

Site supervisor vs general superintendent overview

Site SupervisorGeneral Superintendent
Yearly salary$48,250$75,102
Hourly rate$23.20$36.11
Growth rate8%6%
Number of jobs20,02592,424
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age4644
Years of experience-6

What does a site supervisor do?

A site supervisor oversees the work operations in a construction site, ensuring the efficiency of workflow and safety of the workforce. The tasks of a site supervisor primarily revolve around conducting inspections and assessing risks, managing and evaluating workers, and coordinating with site foreman and suppliers. They also work on producing reports and making sure that all processes adhere to the safety guidelines and regulations. Furthermore, it is also the task of the supervisor to ensure that the progress is completed within the budget and set timeline.

What does a general superintendent do?

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.

Site supervisor vs general superintendent salary

Site supervisors and general superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.

Site SupervisorGeneral Superintendent
Average salary$48,250$75,102
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $70,000Between $52,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying stateNew JerseyDelaware
Best paying company-Southern California Edison
Best paying industryTechnologyEnergy

Differences between site supervisor and general superintendent education

There are a few differences between a site supervisor and a general superintendent in terms of educational background:

Site SupervisorGeneral Superintendent
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college-University of Pennsylvania

Site supervisor vs general superintendent demographics

Here are the differences between site supervisors' and general superintendents' demographics:

Site SupervisorGeneral Superintendent
Average age4644
Gender ratioMale, 64.1% Female, 35.9%Male, 97.3% Female, 2.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 22.3% Asian, 1.5% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%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 Percentage2%10%

Differences between site supervisor and general superintendent duties and responsibilities

Site supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Supervise subcontractors and conduct onsite inspections to ensure exceptional project outcomes achieve on-time and within budget.
  • Perform mechanical tasks such as framing, drywall, HVAC, and finish carpentry.
  • Coordinate carpentry work, HVAC installs, electrical work, plumbing and other trades.
  • chain see use and experience in different roping techniques, drive and use log truck, bobcat mini skidder
  • Approve and process staff payroll and other miscellaneous financial transactions.
  • Maintain reports and ensures accuracy of necessary documentation including time management, scheduling and payroll
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General superintendent example responsibilities.

  • Manage and coordinate all aspects of HVAC relate jobs for a mechanical contractor.
  • Manage the field installation of pipe, instrumentation and HVAC systems throughout the plant.
  • Implement and direct shipping and receiving functions and manage salaried and hourly UAW staff in both functions.
  • Develop and manage instrumental and equipment proper handling regulations in compliance CLIA.
  • Manage complex logistics, including procuring materials and navigating space constraints, to successfully complete project amid concurrent construction of building.
  • Lead and develop direct reports ensuring they are competently skil to perform their QA roles.
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Site supervisor vs general superintendent skills

Common site supervisor skills
  • Customer Service, 21%
  • Safety Procedures, 10%
  • Incident Reports, 8%
  • HR, 7%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Site Supervision, 5%
Common general superintendent skills
  • OSHA, 11%
  • Construction Management, 7%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Quality Standards, 5%
  • Excellent Organizational, 5%
  • General Contractors, 5%

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