Construction project manager salary in Texas runs from $93,000 at the project engineer level to $217,230 and above for project executives, based on the Southwest regional tables of TBG’s 2026 Construction Salary Survey. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median for construction managers in Texas at $101,470 (May 2025), with Houston, Dallas, and Austin all running slightly above the state number. The spread between a junior PM in San Antonio and a senior PM running a hospital tower in the Texas Medical Center is enormous, and this page breaks down where the real money sits.
Construction Project Manager Salary in Texas: What the Market Pays
Texas is one of the most active construction markets in the country. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports Texas as a top-two state for construction employment, and the Associated General Contractors of America tracks Texas as consistently outpacing national growth in commercial and industrial starts. That demand pushes pay up, especially for PMs with a track record on large projects.
The table below breaks down base salary by level for the PM career track. These are the Southwest regional ranges from TBG’s 2026 Construction Salary Survey, 20th to 80th percentile.
| Title / Level | Typical Experience | Typical Project Size | Southwest Base Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Engineer / Assistant PM | 3+ years | $5M to $15M | $93,000 to $122,420 |
| Project Manager | 5 to 10 years | $10M to $49M | $112,090 to $149,230 |
| Senior Project Manager | 10+ years | $20M to $100M | $126,600 to $178,630 |
| Project Executive / Director | 10 to 15 years | $100M to $250M | $150,700 to $217,230 |
| Project Director / Executive II | 20+ years | $250M+ | $203,280 to $266,070 |
Source: 2026 TBG Construction Salary Survey, Southwest region, 20th to 80th percentile base salary. Figures exclude bonuses, per diem, vehicle allowances, and long-term incentives.
If your experience sits in the middle of one of those bands, your offer will land in the middle of the range. Push to the top with a clean project history, strong owner relationships, and a specialty that is in short supply. See how TBG works with candidates to position themselves competitively before accepting an offer.
Construction PM Salary by Texas City
Texas is not one market. DFW, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio each have different cost drivers, different sectors in play, and different hiring pressures. The BLS OEWS program tracks construction managers (SOC 11-9021), the federal category covering PM and superintendent roles, in each major metro. May 2025 data:
| Market | Median | 90th Percentile | Key Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | $103,530 | $170,590 | Industrial, petrochemical, healthcare |
| Dallas / DFW | $103,550 | $166,770 | Commercial, healthcare, data centers |
| Austin | $102,980 | $169,110 | Tech campuses, data centers, multifamily |
| Texas Statewide | $101,470 | $166,800 | Includes all markets and experience levels |
Source: BLS OEWS, Construction Managers (11-9021), May 2025. Base wages only. San Antonio runs below the big three, anchored by military, government, and mid-market commercial work.
The three big metros sit within a few hundred dollars of each other at the median. The separation shows at the top. Houston leads the 90th percentile on the strength of industrial complexity: a PM who can run a petrochemical plant expansion or a large process facility is a rare hire, and the pay reflects that scarcity. DFW commercial work is high volume and highly competitive, which keeps salaries strong for PMs with healthcare or high-rise credentials. Austin is the fastest-moving market, driven by the tech industry buildout and data center activity.
Hiring managers in all four cities can compare their current comp structures against benchmarks in TBG’s downloadable salary survey to see where they stand before they lose a finalist to a better offer.
What Moves the Needle on PM Pay in Texas
Salary bands are a starting point, not a ceiling. Several factors push an individual offer above the midpoint.
Project type and complexity. A PM who has delivered a $150M hospital in Houston is worth more than a PM who has delivered $150M in ground-up retail. Healthcare, mission-critical, and heavy industrial work carry premiums because the tolerance for errors is lower and the owner relationships are harder to build.
Self-perform vs. CM-at-risk experience. Contractors who self-perform concrete, steel, or MEP work want PMs who can manage their own crews. That is a tighter skill set and it pays accordingly.
Owner-client relationships. If a PM has a repeat relationship with a major owner, that PM is worth more to any GC trying to break into that account. Texas has major owner-developers, REITs, health systems, and energy companies that contractors work hard to stay close to.
Preconstruction skills. PMs who can work a project from pursuit through delivery are scarcer than pure field PMs. If you can lead a design-build proposal and then run the job, your value goes up.
Certifications. A PMP or LEED credential adds modestly to base pay. OSHA 30 is table stakes. What matters more at the PM level is a verifiable track record of on-time, on-budget delivery.
Retention pressure. In a tight market, counteroffers are real. TBG has seen Texas contractors add $10K to $20K to an offer when a PM has a competing option. Going into a negotiation with an outside offer is the single most effective lever a PM has.
Construction Sectors Paying the Most for PMs in Texas
Not every sector pays the same. Here is where the highest PM pay concentrates in Texas right now.
Industrial and petrochemical (Houston). The Permian Basin continues to drive oil and gas infrastructure investment, and the Texas Gulf Coast hosts some of the most capital-intensive plant and refinery projects in the world. Experienced industrial PMs price at the senior PM and project executive bands.
Healthcare (DFW and Houston). The Texas Medical Center in Houston is the largest medical complex in the world and is always expanding. DFW has seen sustained hospital and outpatient facility development for over a decade. Healthcare PMs price in the upper half of their level band.
Data centers (DFW and Austin). The buildout of hyperscale data centers across DFW and the Austin tech corridor is one of the biggest construction stories in Texas. PMs with mission-critical experience command top-of-band offers, and the best ones are getting pulled into long-term program roles with major cloud providers.
High-rise multifamily. Dallas, Houston, and Austin all have active high-rise multifamily pipelines. PMs who understand concrete high-rise construction, particularly post-tension decks and curtain wall, are in demand across all three markets.
If you are a PM looking to move into one of these sectors or a GC trying to recruit from one, browse TBG’s active construction PM listings across Texas.
Texas vs. National PM Salary Comparison
Here is how Texas stacks up against the national benchmark, per BLS May 2025 data for construction managers:
| Market | Median (May 2025) | Mean (May 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| National | $114,990 | $124,360 |
| Texas Statewide | $101,470 | $112,680 |
| Houston | $103,530 | $117,600 |
| Dallas / DFW | $103,550 | $115,370 |
| Austin | $102,980 | $116,740 |
Source: BLS OEWS, Construction Managers (11-9021), May 2025.
Texas runs below the national median on paper. The catch is that the national number is pulled up by high-cost coastal markets, and Texas has no state income tax. A PM earning $125,000 in Houston takes home more after tax than a PM earning meaningfully more in California, and the cost of living gap widens the real difference further. That math matters to candidates making relocation decisions, and it is one of the reasons Texas continues to attract experienced construction talent from higher-cost states. At the top of the market, the survey’s Southwest executive bands show Texas pricing large-program leadership competitively with any region outside the Northeast.
For a broader look across roles, including superintendents and estimators, see the TBG 2026 Construction Salary Survey.
What a Texas Offer Package Looks Like Beyond Base Salary
Base salary is the headline. The rest of the package is where offers really differ.
Bonus. Most Texas GCs offer a performance bonus tied to project profitability, schedule, and safety. Target bonuses run 5 to 15 percent of base for project-level PMs and 15 to 25 percent or more for senior PMs and project executives. The best firms pay these consistently. The worst firms hold them back when margins get tight.
Vehicle allowance or company truck. Common in Texas, especially for PMs who cover multiple sites. Allowances typically run $600 to $1,000 per month. Some firms provide company vehicles outright.
Project completion bonuses. Separate from annual performance bonuses, some firms pay a lump sum at project closeout. These can run $5,000 to $25,000 on larger jobs.
Healthcare and 401(k). Most established GCs offer employer-paid or subsidized health insurance and a 401(k) with a 3 to 6 percent match. This is standard but worth negotiating if the match is below 4 percent.
Equity or profit sharing. At privately held firms, senior PMs and project executives are sometimes offered equity participation or phantom stock. This is more common at regional firms than national GCs but is a significant wealth-building tool for the right candidate.
Hiring managers at Texas contractors can benchmark their full package against current market standards with TBG’s construction recruiting services, including compensation consulting ahead of a critical hire.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average construction project manager salary in Texas in 2026?
TBG’s 2026 survey benchmarks Southwest project managers at $112,090 to $149,230 base (20th to 80th percentile) for $10M to $49M projects. The BLS reports a $101,470 median for construction managers in Texas (May 2025), a category that spans PM and superintendent roles across all experience levels.
How much does a senior construction PM make in Houston?
Southwest senior project managers benchmark at $126,600 to $178,630 base per TBG’s 2026 survey for $20M to $100M work. Houston’s 90th percentile for construction managers is $170,590 per BLS May 2025 data. Industrial and petrochemical specialists at the executive level price higher still.
Is construction PM pay higher in Texas than the national average?
Not at the median. BLS May 2025 data puts Texas at $101,470 against $114,990 nationally. The absence of state income tax and lower cost of living close much of the real gap, and complex industrial, healthcare, and data center work prices competitively with national rates.
What sectors pay construction PMs the most in Texas?
Industrial and petrochemical in Houston, healthcare in DFW and Houston, and data center and mission-critical work in DFW and Austin are the highest-paying sectors for PMs in Texas right now. All three price experienced PMs at the senior and executive survey bands.
How do I negotiate a higher construction PM salary in Texas?
The strongest negotiating positions come from a competing offer, a verified track record on comparable project size, and sector experience that is in short supply. Going through a specialized recruiter who knows the market can also improve your positioning significantly.
Does Texas construction PM salary include bonuses?
Base salary figures typically do not include bonuses. Most Texas GCs offer performance bonuses of 5 to 15 percent for project PMs and 15 to 25 percent or more for senior-level roles, plus vehicle allowances and potential project completion bonuses.
TBG has placed construction project managers across Texas markets including Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. If you are a hiring manager benchmarking pay for an active search, or a PM ready to test the market, contact TBG directly for a straight conversation about where you stand.
