How to hire a superintendent

How to hire a superintendent, step by step

Here's a step-by-step superintendent hiring guide:

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

What does a superintendent do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a superintendent, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A superintendent's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, superintendents 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of superintendents.

   Type of Superintendent	Description	Hourly rate
   Superintendent	Elementary, middle, and high school principals manage all school operations, including daily school activities. They coordinate curricula, oversee teachers and other school staff, and provide a safe and productive learning environment for students.	$27-57
   Controls Project Manager	A Controls Project Manager supervises the project control of engineering and construction projects. They are responsible for estimating costs, monitoring work progress, and quality assurance.	$37-79
   Installation Manager	An installation manager is primarily in charge of overseeing a company's installation projects, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. It is their duty to set goals and objectives, manage budgets and schedules, liaise with clients to identify their needs and preferences, and develop strategies to optimize installation processes, prioritizing customer satisfaction... Show more	$23-49

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • OSHA
   • Quality Standards
   • Construction Management
   • Logistics
   • Customer Service
   • Project Management
   • Construction Projects
   • Safety Program
   • General Contractors
   • Excellent Organizational
   • Safety Standards
   • Site Safety
   • Plumbing
   • Punch List

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage, coordinate, plan and provide oversight for all nuclear work perform during PSA's.
   • Manage $9.1M budget; 28,000 grind and flight training requirements and 2,400 hr flying training program.
   • Manage a team of 30 operators and maintenance personnel producing extrusion and blown polypropylene shrink film on a unionize site.
   • Lead and facilitate meetings; oversee implementation of OSHA and company safety regulations.
   • Manage complex logistics, including procuring materials and navigating space constraints, to successfully complete project amid concurrent construction of building.
   • Coordinate and oversee commercial roofing projects.

   More superintendent duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your superintendent job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A superintendent can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, superintendents' average salary in nebraska is 38% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level superintendents 52% less than senior-level superintendents.
   • Certifications. A superintendent with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a superintendent's salary.

   Average superintendent salary

   $82,458yearly

   $39.64 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level superintendent salary

   $57,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average superintendent salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$108,093	$52
   2	New York	$100,859	$48
   3	Massachusetts	$99,475	$48
   4	West Virginia	$94,177	$45
   5	Washington	$93,926	$45
   6	Nevada	$91,775	$44
   7	Illinois	$86,777	$42
   8	Wisconsin	$86,238	$41
   9	Oregon	$85,651	$41
   10	Maryland	$85,220	$41
   11	Ohio	$84,284	$41
   12	Texas	$83,793	$40
   13	Michigan	$83,643	$40
   14	Georgia	$83,618	$40
   15	Virginia	$83,291	$40
   16	North Carolina	$82,496	$40
   17	Indiana	$80,924	$39
   18	Arizona	$80,791	$39
   19	Minnesota	$78,575	$38
   20	Oklahoma	$78,188	$38

   Average superintendent salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BP America Inc	$123,894	$59.56
   2	The Weitz Company	$118,589	$57.01	19
   3	Tesoro	$118,444	$56.94
   4	Parsons	$116,804	$56.16	44
   5	Texas Instruments	$115,442	$55.50
   6	BGC Partners	$113,306	$54.47
   7	The Walt Disney Company	$110,301	$53.03	3
   8	PBF Energy	$109,539	$52.66
   9	Bloom Energy	$107,897	$51.87
   10	Chevron	$107,565	$51.71
   11	Rosendin Electric	$105,929	$50.93	6
   12	Beck	$105,594	$50.77	11
   13	Bunge	$104,412	$50.20
   14	Katerra	$104,343	$50.16	10
   15	Bayer	$99,631	$47.90
   16	Entergy	$97,958	$47.10	12
   17	Ukpeagvik IOoOupiat Corporation	$96,639	$46.46	3
   18	MDU Resources	$96,613	$46.45
   19	EDF	$96,348	$46.32	1
   20	United Construction	$96,193	$46.25

4. Writing a superintendent job description

   A superintendent job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a superintendent job description:

   Superintendent job description example

   Title: Quality Superintendent Location: United States-Alabama-Muscle Shoals Other Locations: *Description*
   
   Looking for a challenge? Desire to achieve your true potential? OxyChem is a growing, action-oriented, safety driven chemical manufacturing company continually striving to be the best in the business while staying focused on environmental protection. The secret to our success has and will continue to be our people.
   
   Occidental Chemical Corporation (OxyChem) is a leading North American manufacturer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins, chlorine and caustic soda – key building blocks for a variety of indispensable products such as plastics, pharmaceuticals and water treatment chemicals. Other OxyChem products include caustic potash, chlorinated organics, sodium silicates, chlorinated isocyanurates, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarconate and calcium chloride. For every product it makes, OxyChem’s market position is No. 1 or No.2 in the U.S.
   
   In a fast-paced industry that demands precision, we create a supportive workplace where the safety and well-being of our employees are paramount. We are committed to rewarding top performers, offering very competitive pay and benefits, and providing tremendous career development opportunities. We are looking for an experienced and self-motivated individual to fill the position of Quality Superintendent at our Muscle Shoals, Alabama Plant.
   
   Provides Quality Leadership to support quality programs focused on the production of Quality Product, Continuous Improvement, compliance to Good Manufacturing Practices and Regulatory/Legal requirements.
   
   Develop programs to ensure manufacturing systems are in control and capable of meeting defined specifications.
   
   Communicate plant quality issues to Plant Management and ensure containment and corrective actions are put in place.
   Works with the plant management staff on continuous improvement initiatives. Implement Corporate Quality Initiatives. Manage the Quality Budget within the guidelines and direction of Plant Management. Ensure the Quality Group is trained and staffed with competent personnel. Coordinate third party and internal quality system audits to document compliance to Regulations. Ensure compliance to Regulatory and Legal Requirements. Serves as USP Compliance Officer. Ensures validation of equipment is complete for USP and Food Safety Requirements. Completes any additional responsibilities assigned by Plant Management. Occidental is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, political preference, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status. *Qualifications* Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in science related field. A minimum of 10 years of experience in the consumer products, food manufacturing, medical device, and/or pharmaceutical industries. Experience working in a plant environment. Knowledge of quality management systems, food safety systems, and USP Regulatory Requirements. Working knowledge of lab functions, methods, and equipment. Working knowledge of computers including Microsoft Office and SAP. Knowledge of ISO or Regulatory Requirements for 21 CFR 110, 11, 117 and 210/211. Supervisory experience is preferred. Physical Requirements: Must be able work in temperatures ranging from winter lows to summer highs, and in all weather conditions. Must be able to wear the required personal protective equipment necessary to perform the job. Must be able to climb stairs and ladders, walk on grating, work on computer, reach files, and use telephone.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right superintendent for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with superintendents they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit superintendents who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your superintendent job on Zippia to find and attract quality superintendent candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting superintendents requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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 superintendent

   Once you've found the superintendent 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new superintendent. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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