Construction Superintendent Salary in 2026: Real Pay, Range, and What Increases It
Construction superintendent salary in 2026 ranges from $75,000 for an assistant superintendent to $180,000 or more for a general superintendent running complex commercial, industrial, or mission-critical projects. The midpoint for an experienced superintendent carrying a multimillion-dollar project without close supervision lands between $110,000 and $135,000 in base pay. Total compensation including bonuses, truck allowances, per diem, and travel pay regularly exceeds base salary by 10–20%.
That is why superintendent pay cannot be judged by title alone. A local site superintendent and a superintendent leading a phased hospital renovation or fast-track data center project may both carry the same job title, but they are not carrying the same risk, schedule pressure, coordination load, or hiring value.
| Source | 2026 Pay Benchmark | How to Read It |
|---|---|---|
| Salary.com | $99,800 to $125,500 common range | Good benchmark for site superintendent base salary. |
| Indeed | $101,821 average base salary | Reflects job-posting and employer demand signals. |
| Glassdoor | $86,782 to $139,036 typical range | Useful for employee-reported market spread. |
| BLS construction manager benchmark | $114,990 median annual wage (May 2025) | Public benchmark, but not superintendent-specific. |
These are benchmarks for one role. The 2026 Construction Salary Survey covers 40+ construction leadership roles by region.
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Average Construction Superintendent Salary in 2026
The cleanest current range for construction superintendent salary in 2026 is $100,000 to $126,000 for most experienced site leaders. That range lines up with Salary.com construction site superintendent data, which shows a 25th to 75th percentile range of $99,800 to $125,500 as of May 1, 2026.
It also lines up with Indeed salary data, which reports an average base salary of $101,821 from 18,400 job-posting salary points updated May 4, 2026. Glassdoor salary data places the typical U.S. range from $86,782 to $139,036, with top reported earners above $171,000.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not separate superintendent pay from the broader construction manager category. It reports a $114,990 median annual wage for construction managers as of May 2025, plus a 9 percent projected employment increase from 2024 to 2034. That makes BLS a useful public benchmark, not the full superintendent market.
- Early-career superintendent range: $85,000 to $100,000
- Experienced superintendent range: $100,000 to $130,000
- Senior superintendent range: $130,000 to $160,000+
- Specialized or travel-heavy work: $150,000 to $180,000+ total compensation
For a broader view of management, superintendent, and estimating roles, compare this article with The Birmingham Group 2026 Construction Salary Survey.
Why Superintendent Pay Swings So Much
Superintendent pay swings when the job carries more risk. A title alone does not tell the full story. The market pays for scope, judgment, schedule control, trade coordination, safety leadership, and the ability to keep problems from becoming expensive.
Here is the real field difference. One superintendent may run a local commercial build with a steady schedule and known subcontractor base. Another may run a phased hospital renovation with occupied spaces, night work, infection control, owner pressure, and zero room for sloppy coordination. The second role should pay more. It carries more exposure.
That is where hiring teams get into trouble. They price the title instead of the assignment. Strong candidates know the difference.
Pay usually moves higher when the superintendent owns:
- larger project size or multiple active phases
- technical work in healthcare, industrial, infrastructure, or data centers
- compressed schedules with major liquidated-damage risk
- travel, per diem, or remote-site assignments
- direct subcontractor control and owner-facing pressure
Hiring managers using old ranges will lose people. Candidates using one national average will underprice themselves. The smarter move is to compare base pay, bonus, vehicle allowance, benefits, project risk, and long-term path together.
Construction Superintendent Salary by Experience Level
| Level | Typical Base Salary | What Employers Are Paying For |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Superintendent | $75,000 to $95,000 | Field support, documentation, punch work, and early trade coordination. |
| Superintendent I | $90,000 to $110,000 | Smaller projects, defined scopes, and growing schedule ownership. |
| Experienced Superintendent | $110,000 to $135,000 | Full site control, subcontractor leadership, sequencing, and client pressure. |
| Senior Superintendent | $130,000 to $160,000+ | Large projects, difficult phases, field teams, and higher schedule risk. |
| General Superintendent | $150,000 to $180,000+ | Multi-project field leadership, standards, staffing, and operations support. |
The biggest jump often comes when a superintendent moves from helping the job to owning the job. That is the point where compensation starts following accountability.
Active superintendent openings at general contractors nationwide are listed on TBG’s construction jobs board.
Location, Project Type, and Total Compensation
Location still matters. High-cost states and metros can pay more, but higher pay does not always mean higher buying power. The BEA Regional Price Parities show that California, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. had some of the highest 2024 price levels. Salary reviews should account for cost of living, not just the offer number.
Project type matters just as much. Commercial work may sit near the national range. Healthcare, infrastructure, industrial, and data center work often command more. These projects carry harder sequencing, tighter documentation, more safety exposure, and more owner pressure.
- Commercial construction: $100,000 to $130,000
- Healthcare and education: $110,000 to $140,000
- Infrastructure and heavy civil: $115,000 to $150,000
- Industrial and manufacturing: $115,000 to $150,000
- Data center and mission critical: $130,000 to $170,000+ on senior or travel-heavy roles
Total compensation can change the real value of the offer. A $118,000 base with a strong bonus plan, truck allowance, per diem, and paid benefits may beat a $128,000 base with weak support. That is why salary benchmarking should include the full package.
Union exposure can shape market expectations too. BLS reported that full-time construction workers who were union members earned median weekly pay of $1,585 in 2025, compared with $1,132 for nonunion construction workers. That data is broad and not superintendent-specific, but it still affects local wage pressure in union-heavy markets.
Skills raise pay only when they reduce jobsite risk. OSHA 30, strong plan reading, daily reporting, look-ahead scheduling, trade sequencing, RFI awareness, and clean closeout habits all matter. Digital field tools matter too, but only when the superintendent uses them to improve control. A Procore daily log does not create value by itself. A superintendent who uses field data to spot delays early creates value.
The best-paid superintendents tend to share one trait. They make the job feel controlled. They keep owners informed, push subcontractors without losing trust, and make decisions before small problems reach the pay application or the punch list.
Construction Superintendent Salary by State in 2026
State location is one of the strongest factors in superintendent pay. High-cost states with active project pipelines consistently pay above the national median of $114,990. The table below shows BLS wage data for construction managers (SOC 11-9021), the federal category covering most superintendent roles, in 15 of the most active states, May 2025.
| State | Median (May 2025) | 90th Percentile | Primary Market Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $155,360 | $244,590 | Strong union market, large commercial and infrastructure |
| Washington | $155,070 | $217,920 | Data center concentration, tech campus builds |
| California | $133,160 | $211,970 | High COL, data center and commercial pipeline |
| Colorado | $124,830 | $191,450 | Denver metro growth, industrial and data centers |
| Virginia | $119,110 | $183,980 | Federal, defense, and data center corridor |
| Nevada | $115,250 | $175,640 | Las Vegas hospitality, industrial and data center surge |
| Arizona | $114,680 | $168,560 | Phoenix semiconductor and data center build boom |
| Florida | $113,130 | $209,450 | Healthcare, hospitality, and multi-family statewide |
| Georgia | $110,810 | $180,750 | Atlanta commercial growth, manufacturing and industrial |
| Illinois | $109,160 | $172,410 | Chicago union market, healthcare and commercial |
| Pennsylvania | $108,250 | $173,160 | Philadelphia and Pittsburgh commercial and healthcare |
| North Carolina | $106,640 | $176,690 | Research Triangle, data centers and life sciences |
| Michigan | $103,230 | $171,340 | EV, semiconductor, and manufacturing facility projects |
| Ohio | $101,980 | $161,410 | Intel campus, Columbus and Cleveland industrial |
| Texas | $101,470 | $166,800 | Houston, DFW, and Austin volume and project scale |
Source: BLS OEWS, Construction Managers (11-9021), May 2025. Figures cover all construction managers in each state. Experienced superintendents typically price between the median and the 90th percentile, with complex-sector roles at and above the 90th.
For a full breakdown across all 50 states and 30+ construction roles, download the 2026 TBG Construction Salary Survey.
Construction Superintendent Hourly Rate in 2026
Superintendent pay is structured as annual salary, not hourly. But converting to an hourly equivalent helps candidates compare offers against contract roles, evaluate per diem structures, and assess the real value of compressed schedules. Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year:
| Role Level | Annual Salary Range | Hourly Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Superintendent | $75,000 – $95,000 | $36 – $46 per hour |
| Superintendent | $100,000 – $130,000 | $48 – $63 per hour |
| Senior Superintendent | $130,000 – $160,000 | $63 – $77 per hour |
| General Superintendent | $150,000 – $180,000+ | $72 – $87 per hour |
Most salaried superintendents do not receive overtime pay. Field hours on active projects regularly exceed 50 per week, which compresses the effective hourly rate. That is one more reason total compensation including per diem, truck allowance, and bonus structure matters more than base salary alone for superintendents on travel or compressed-schedule assignments.
Superintendents targeting the next career step will see those hourly equivalents move. A senior superintendent salary typically starts at $130,000 in base pay, pushing the hourly equivalent past $63, a jump that reflects the move from running a single project to carrying harder phases, larger field teams, and more owner-facing pressure. Field leaders still working as a general foreman typically sit in the $30 to $42 per hour equivalent range, making the step to full superintendent one of the bigger compensation moves in field leadership.
What Candidates and Hiring Teams Should Do With the Numbers
Candidates should not walk into a salary talk with only one national average. Bring the project facts. Know your sector, project size, schedule pressure, travel load, safety record, closeout history, and owner-facing experience. Those details make the salary case stronger.
Construction professionals who need a wider market read can use TBG’s construction career resources to compare roles, timing, and compensation before making a move.
Hiring teams should do the same work from the other side. A flat superintendent range will not work across every market. The right number depends on the job you need done. If the role protects schedule, margin, safety, and owner trust, price it like a business-critical hire.
Companies reviewing compensation should compare their ranges against the construction salary guide, then use those numbers to tighten offers before strong candidates walk.
If superintendent hiring is slowing projects down, The Birmingham Group supports contractors through construction recruiting built around field leadership, project scope, and real market pay. GCs opening a superintendent search will find compensation benchmarks and process guides in TBG’s hiring manager resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do construction superintendents make?
Construction superintendents make between $75,000 and $180,000 in 2026. Most experienced field superintendents earn $100,000 to $126,000 in base pay. General superintendents on complex industrial, data center, or healthcare projects regularly reach $150,000 to $180,000 or more. Bonus, per diem, and truck allowance add meaningful dollars on top of base.
How much does a construction superintendent make in 2026?
A construction superintendent makes an average of $100,000 to $126,000 in base salary in 2026. Assistant superintendents start around $75,000. Senior and general superintendents on large or complex projects can exceed $180,000 in total compensation. Sector matters: data center and mission-critical superintendents are commanding the strongest premiums in the current market.
What is the average construction superintendent salary in 2026?
Most experienced construction superintendents earn about $100,000 to $126,000 in base salary. Senior, specialized, and travel-heavy roles can move well above that range.
Why do superintendent salaries vary so much?
Pay changes with project size, location, sector, schedule pressure, safety risk, travel, and the level of field ownership required.
Which superintendent roles pay the most?
Senior roles in data centers, industrial, infrastructure, healthcare, and complex commercial construction often pay the most.
Should candidates compare base salary or total compensation?
Total compensation matters more. Bonus, truck allowance, per diem, benefits, PTO, and travel terms can change the real value of an offer.
How should employers set superintendent pay?
Employers should price the assignment, not the title. A role with higher risk, larger scope, or tighter schedule pressure needs stronger compensation.
MEP superintendents in mechanical, electrical, and plumbing specialties carry different pay bands than commercial field leaders. The MEP superintendent salary guide breaks down what those specialty roles command in 2026 by market.
Project managers and superintendents often carry similar base pay on large commercial and heavy civil projects, sometimes within $10,000–$20,000 of each other at the senior level. Current construction project manager salary data shows where those ranges land by market and project type in 2026.
Get the Full 2026 Construction Salary Data
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