Construction leaders in the Northeast earn the most in 2026. Across the 19 roles the TBG 2026 Construction Salary Survey reports in all six U.S. regions, Northeast medians run about 10 percent above the regional average, and the Northeast pays the highest median in 17 of those 19 roles.
Outside the Northeast, construction salary by region is closer than most people expect. The other five regions sit within about 5 percent of each other. The real gap shows up at the top of the org chart: for chief estimators, project executives, and senior project directors, the difference between the highest-paying and lowest-paying region is more than $45,000 in base pay.
That changes how you price an offer, and how you read a job posting from another part of the country.
Last updated: October 2026
Construction salary by region at a glance
The table compares each region with the average of all six, across the 19 leadership roles the survey reports in every region. These are base salary figures only.
| Region | Pay vs. six-region average | Where it pays the most | Superintendent I median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | 9.7% above | 17 of 19 roles | $156,900 |
| Northwest | 1.6% above | Assistant Superintendent | $140,490 |
| Mid-Atlantic | 1.9% below | None | $132,410 |
| Southeast | 2.7% below | Preconstruction Manager and Director* | $127,010 |
| Midwest | 3.3% below | General Foreman* | $133,290 |
| Southwest | 3.5% below | Junior Estimator | $126,900 |
Average comparison covers the 19 roles reported in all six regions. *Preconstruction roles are reported in four regions and general foreman in five, so they sit outside the 19. Source: TBG 2026 Construction Salary Survey.
One region stands apart. The rest are bunched together.
A contractor in the Midwest and one in the Southwest are competing for leaders at nearly the same price. A contractor in the Northeast is paying a premium on almost every seat.
Regional pay gaps grow with seniority
Entry-level pay barely moves by region. Senior pay moves a lot. The gap between the best-paying and lowest-paying region grows from a few thousand dollars at the junior level to more than $45,000 for the most senior roles.
| Role | Highest-paying region | Lowest-paying region | Gap in median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Project Field Engineer | Northeast, $82,600 | Southeast, $78,880 | $3,720 |
| Junior Estimator | Southwest, $86,470 | Southeast, $79,330 | $7,140 |
| Project Manager | Northeast, $157,210 | Southeast, $130,970 | $26,240 |
| Superintendent I | Northeast, $156,900 | Southwest, $126,900 | $30,000 |
| Senior Estimator | Northeast, $196,110 | Midwest, $157,940 | $38,170 |
| Project Executive / Project Director | Northeast, $235,140 | Midwest, $189,260 | $45,880 |
| Chief Estimator | Northeast, $234,160 | Midwest, $188,260 | $45,900 |
| Project Director / Executive II | Northeast, $274,960 | Midwest, $228,110 | $46,850 |
Source: TBG 2026 Construction Salary Survey, median base salary.
In our searches, the reason is scarcity. Junior roles are filled from a broad, mobile pool of graduates and early-career engineers, and contractors everywhere pay close to the same starting number. Senior roles are local and hard to replace. A chief estimator who knows the subcontractor market in a major Northeast metro does not have many substitutes, and the offer has to reflect that.
That is a higher bar than matching a salary report.
2026 median base salary by role and region
These are the medians for the leadership roles contractors ask us about most. For the full level-by-level ladders, see our superintendent pay by level and project manager salary ranges.
| Role | Northeast | Northwest | Mid-Atlantic | Southeast | Midwest | Southwest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Manager | $157,210 | $141,530 | $132,660 | $130,970 | $133,550 | $133,810 |
| Senior Project Manager | $184,310 | $181,080 | $164,620 | $166,130 | $158,790 | $158,930 |
| Project Executive / Project Director | $235,140 | $203,810 | $201,610 | $195,190 | $189,260 | $189,630 |
| Superintendent I | $156,900 | $140,490 | $132,410 | $127,010 | $133,290 | $126,900 |
| General Superintendent | $234,740 | $233,600 | $210,060 | $212,240 | $199,950 | $209,680 |
| Assistant Superintendent | $110,480 | $120,220 | $102,150 | $99,600 | $107,010 | $105,880 |
| Senior Estimator | $196,110 | $168,200 | $162,340 | $162,340 | $157,940 | $160,410 |
| Chief Estimator | $234,160 | $216,910 | $202,770 | $202,280 | $188,260 | $192,930 |
Median base salary. Highest region in bold. Source: TBG 2026 Construction Salary Survey.
Two notes on coverage. The survey reports general foreman pay in five regions, with no Northeast figure. The Midwest leads at $107,510 and the Southwest trails at $83,400. Preconstruction pay is reported in four regions, and the Southeast leads for both roles: $170,340 for a preconstruction manager and $209,150 for a preconstruction director.
Construction pay by region: what each market looks like
Northeast: the highest-paying region for construction leaders
The Northeast leads in 17 of the 19 roles it reports. A project manager earns a median of $157,210, about $26,000 more than in the Southeast. General superintendents earn $234,740, and the Project Director / Executive II level reaches $274,960, the highest median in the survey.
There are two exceptions. The Northwest pays more for assistant superintendents ($120,220 against $110,480), and the Southwest pays more for junior estimators ($86,470 against $79,710).
Northwest: second place, and close at the top
The Northwest runs 1.6 percent above the six-region average. It is the closest challenger to the Northeast for senior field leadership: the general superintendent median of $233,600 sits within about $1,100 of the Northeast. It is also second for senior project managers ($181,080) and chief estimators ($216,910), and it pays the most of any region for assistant superintendents.
Mid-Atlantic: strong for executives, middle of the pack below
The Mid-Atlantic runs 1.9 percent below average overall, but it pays well at the executive level. The Project Director / Executive II median of $256,700 is second only to the Northeast. Estimating is a different story: the Mid-Atlantic has the lowest median for Estimator I ($102,660) and Estimator II ($126,250).
Southeast: lower for early and mid-career roles, top for preconstruction
The Southeast runs 2.7 percent below average. It has the lowest median for project engineers and assistant project managers ($107,710), project managers ($130,970), and assistant superintendents ($99,600).
Two things break the pattern. Senior project managers earn $166,130, third among the six regions. And the Southeast pays the most for preconstruction leaders, which tracks with how many large projects in the region are won or lost before the first shovel goes in the ground.
Midwest: lowest for senior leadership roles
The Midwest runs 3.3 percent below average, and the gap sits mostly at the top. It has the lowest median for senior project managers ($158,790), project executives and project directors ($189,260), the Project Director / Executive II level ($228,110), senior estimators ($157,940), chief estimators ($188,260), and general superintendents ($199,950).
Lower in the field structure, the Midwest holds up well. A Superintendent I earns $133,290, ahead of the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Southwest, and the Midwest pays the most for general foremen.
Southwest: lowest average, with a few surprises
The Southwest runs 3.5 percent below average, the lowest of the six. A Superintendent I earns $126,900 at the median, the lowest in the survey, and senior project engineers earn $104,730. Project managers do better at $133,810, behind only the Northeast and Northwest, and the Southwest pays the most for junior estimators.
What drives the regional pay gap
The survey reports what each region pays. It does not assign causes. These are the patterns we see across active searches.
- Cost of living and wage levels. The largest Northeast metros push pay up at every level, and leaders expect their base to keep pace.
- Project mix. Regions with more large, complex healthcare, infrastructure, high-rise, and mission-critical work need more senior leaders, and bigger jobs carry bigger pay.
- Scarcity at the top. Senior leaders are fewer, more settled, and harder to relocate. Families, local subcontractor relationships, and owner trust keep them in place, so contractors pay to pull them away.
Junior pay is set by a national market. Senior pay is set by a local one.
Base salary is only part of the offer
Every figure in this guide is base salary. Bonuses, a truck or vehicle allowance, per diem for traveling roles, and relocation support all come on top, and they can close much of a regional gap. A superintendent in a lower-base region running a travel-heavy project can out-earn a local superintendent in a higher-base region.
Regional survey data is also different from government wage data. If you need state-level figures for the whole workforce, our guide to construction wages by state covers that. This guide covers leadership roles by region.
How to use regional pay data when you hire
A wrong or late hire costs schedule, margin, and client trust. Pricing the offer to the right market is the first way to avoid both.
- Price to where the person lives and works, not where your headquarters sits. A Southeast contractor hiring a project executive for a Northeast job is buying in the Northeast market.
- Expect candidates to anchor on their current base. A Northeast project manager moving south will compare your offer with a $157,210 median, not a $130,970 one.
- Aim above the median for proven leaders. Medians describe the middle. In the Northeast, the top 20 percent of project managers earn above $183,040.
- Budget relocation as part of the offer, not as an afterthought, when you recruit across regions.
Benchmark the role against the full 2026 Construction Salary Survey before you post it. If the seat is senior, open, and confidential, a confidential construction search reaches the leaders who are not applying anywhere.
What candidates should know before moving for pay
A bigger number in a higher-paying region does not always go further. Compare total compensation and living costs, not just base salary.
Watch the regional exceptions. Preconstruction leaders earn the most in the Southeast. Assistant superintendents earn the most in the Northwest. Early-career engineers earn close to the same number everywhere, so moving for pay makes more sense later in your career than at the start, as our field engineer pay data shows.
Browse open construction jobs by market, use our relocation tools to compare a move, or submit your resume for confidential searches in your region.
Construction salary by region FAQs
Which region pays construction managers the most in 2026?
The Northeast pays construction leaders the most in 2026. It has the highest median in 17 of the 19 roles TBG reports in every region, including project managers at $157,210 and general superintendents at $234,740.
How much more do construction leaders earn in the Northeast?
Northeast medians run about 10 percent above the six-region average. For project managers that is about $26,000 more than the Southeast, and for chief estimators and project executives the gap tops $45,000.
Which region pays construction leaders the least?
The Southwest has the lowest average, 3.5 percent below the six-region mean. The Midwest pays the least for most senior roles, including senior project managers, project executives, chief estimators, and general superintendents.
Does region matter for entry-level construction jobs?
Very little. The regional gap is $3,720 for junior project field engineers and $7,140 for junior estimators. Region starts to matter at the project manager level and above.
Where are preconstruction salaries highest?
The Southeast pays the most for preconstruction among the four regions reported: $170,340 for preconstruction managers and $209,150 for preconstruction directors.
Do these figures include bonus or per diem?
No. The survey reports base salary only. Bonuses, vehicle allowances, per diem, and relocation come on top and can change the comparison between regions.
Region moves pay. Seniority moves it more. Price the seat for both.
