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Site supervisor vs project manager

The differences between site supervisors and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, 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 project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.

Site supervisor vs project manager overview

Site SupervisorProject Manager
Yearly salary$48,250$91,578
Hourly rate$23.20$44.03
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs20,025167,116
Job satisfaction54.17
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4647
Years of experience--

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 project manager do?

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.

Site supervisor vs project manager salary

Site supervisors and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Site SupervisorProject Manager
Average salary$48,250$91,578
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $70,000Between $64,000 And $129,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyCalifornia
Best paying company-The Citadel
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between site supervisor and project manager education

There are a few differences between a site supervisor and a project manager in terms of educational background:

Site SupervisorProject Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college-University of Pennsylvania

Site supervisor vs project manager demographics

Here are the differences between site supervisors' and project managers' demographics:

Site SupervisorProject Manager
Average age4647
Gender ratioMale, 64.1% Female, 35.9%Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1%
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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage2%10%

Differences between site supervisor and project manager 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
  • Show more

Project manager example responsibilities.

  • Schedule and manage the GCP audit process.
  • Define, develop and manage metrics and KPIs systems for new product business group.
  • Manage the application process for the FDA medical device, minority and small business certifications.
  • Manage multiple projects and resources simultaneously while mentoring, coaching and implementing best practices, SOX and HIPAA compliance standards.
  • Lead teams using the Informatica ETL tool for the design and development of multiple financial and risk enterprise data warehouses.
  • Administer and manage Salesforce requirements.
  • Show more

Site supervisor vs project manager skills

Common site supervisor skills
  • Customer Service, 21%
  • Safety Procedures, 10%
  • Incident Reports, 8%
  • HR, 7%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Site Supervision, 5%
Common project manager skills
  • Project Management, 23%
  • Project Scope, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Infrastructure, 5%
  • Status Reports, 4%
  • Risk Management, 3%

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