Superintendent vs construction supervisor

The differences between superintendents and construction supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a superintendent, becoming a construction supervisor takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a superintendent has an average salary of $82,458, which is higher than the $62,881 average annual salary of a construction supervisor.

The top three skills for a superintendent include OSHA, quality standards and construction management. The most important skills for a construction supervisor are customer service, OSHA, and project management.

Superintendent vs construction supervisor overview

	Superintendent	Construction Supervisor
Yearly salary	$82,458	$62,881
Hourly rate	$39.64	$30.23
Growth rate	5%	8%
Number of jobs	22,580	32,487
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	47	46
Years of experience	4	-

What does a superintendent do?

Superintendents oversee the administration of schools in a specific school district. They manage the educational programs of each school and create strategic decisions to ensure that the students are learning important subjects. They also supervise school administrators or principals and are responsible for hiring and guiding them. Superintendents should be familiar with their constituents and must always be ready to listen to their needs. It is important that superintendents are good decision-makers and communicators. They are expected to lead their respective districts in achieving their vision. Superintendents drive the team towards their goals and create strategic steps to ensure success.

What does a construction supervisor do?

Construction supervisors ensure construction team members work jointly to deliver excellent work on time. They provide team-building sessions and training and monitor the construction processes. These professionals ensure the construction processes take place every time as per the safety regulations and health regulations. Besides creating budgets, project plans, reports and delivering them to the appropriate stakeholders, construction supervisors also perform routine site, material, and equipment inspections. They always remain updated about the construction advancements and construction safety codes.

Superintendent vs construction supervisor salary

Superintendents and construction supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Superintendent	Construction Supervisor
Average salary	$82,458	$62,881
Salary range	Between $57,000 And $119,000	Between $42,000 And $92,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	New York
Best paying company	BP America Inc	SBA Communications
Best paying industry	Construction	Energy

Differences between superintendent and construction supervisor education

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

	Superintendent	Construction Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Superintendent vs construction supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between superintendents' and construction supervisors' demographics:

	Superintendent	Construction Supervisor
Average age	47	46
Gender ratio	Male, 93.3% Female, 6.7%	Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 4.2% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 22.9% Asian, 1.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	16%	2%

Differences between superintendent and construction supervisor duties and responsibilities

Superintendent example 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.

Construction supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage third party contractors, including safety oversight, control inspection and environmental design specification compliance, and also direct consultants.
Conduct site visits to ensure OSHA and local safety regulations are adhered to in accordance with company policy.
Perform caulking tasks which include: priming, air barrier on walls and utilizing mechanical tools.
Perform daily project walk-through to assess safety and cleanliness, thus ensuring compliance with OSHA regulations and insurance requirement.
Maintain the church building and school including general repairs, preventative maintenance, HVAC and scheduling contractors for repairs as needed.
Purchase framing, siding, cornice, roofing, finish carpentry and all other materials necessary, maintaining effective inventory control.

Superintendent vs construction supervisor skills

Common superintendent skills

OSHA, 11%
Quality Standards, 7%
Construction Management, 7%
Logistics, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Project Management, 5%

Common construction supervisor skills

Customer Service, 10%
OSHA, 8%
Project Management, 8%
Work Ethic, 6%
Construction Management, 5%
Construction Sites, 5%

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Superintendent vs Construction Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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