The commercial construction industry is an exciting place to work partly due to the nearly unlimited growth potential. You may start out in an entry level position, then gain valuable experience on the job which can put you at over 6 figures. If you put in the time and effort, you can get to that place relatively quickly. Positions as General Foreman and Assistant Superintendent require certain skills experience, and their salaries vary depending on the geographic location you are working. Below is a closer look at some of the factors that contribute to salary variability for General Foremen and Assistant Superintendents and how your firm can remain competitive.
First let’s go over some of the skills needed for these positions. General Foremen and Assistant Superintendents work on site and require a certain range of skills including:
- Leadership
- Operational management
- Math, budgeting, and estimating
- Collaboration and team work
- Efficiency
- Time Management
Some responsibilities include:
- General management – Managing people and processes to ensure that the project is flawlessly completed on-time.
- Organizational and operational control – They control the overall operation of the construction site.
- Maintaining order – Safety has to be top of mind.
- Delegate responsibility – Performance management and task assignment is essential to the success of any project.
As construction professionals map out their career path—they often have a desired salary in mind. While salary is not the only determining factor in applying for or accepting construction jobs, it remains a major contributing factor. To achieve a desired salary, many candidates are willing to relocate. While relocation for work in our industry was previously reserved more for temporary assignments, it is more common now than ever. To remain competitive construction firms must consider how to make relocation more attractive. Also, to realize the salary their applicants may be chasing.
General Foreman
| Region | 20th Percentile | 80th Percentile | Mean | Median |
| Midwest | $68.5 | $89.3 | $81.8 | $83.8 |
| Mid-Atlantic | $69.4 | $86.6 | $77.0 | $77.9 |
| Northwest | $78.9 | $92.5 | $87.4 | $80.9 |
| Southeast | $55.0 | $74.7 | $65.5 | $66.0 |
| Southwest | $56.8 | $75.1 | $71.2 | $65.0 |
*salaries do not reflect bonuses
General Foreman typically has at least 3 years’ experience as a Foreman. A General Foreman supervises and coordinates the activities of Junior Foremen, and laborers. They are often onsite daily, and report to/and work directly with their Junior and Senior Superintendents to ensure all budgets, project tasks, quality requirements, specs, timelines, and regulations are on track and/or within regulations.
Assistant Superintendent
| Region | 20th Percentile | 80th Percentile | Mean | Median |
| Midwest | $74.3 | $95.3 | $87.1 | $83.5 |
| Mid-Atlantic | $68.1 | $92.2 | $81.7 | $79.7 |
| Northeast | $73.4 | $101.0 | $91.3 | $86.2 |
| Northwest | $82.3 | $104.7 | $98.7 | $93.8 |
| Southeast | $68.4 | $86.1 | $78.6 | $77.7 |
| Southwest | $72.3 | $89.4 | $82.6 | $82.6 |
*salaries do not reflect bonuses
Assistant Superintendent is typically responsible for projects in the range of $5 to $15 million. Most have between 3 to 5 years’ experience as a General Foreman or Superintendent Assistant. Superintendents must possess strong communication and leadership skills, as well as extensive technical knowledge. They manage multiple duties, including supervising laborers, scheduling, and organizing the project to ensure it is both time and cost-effective, labor budgeting, quality control, and more. Works directly with the General Forman and their team to achieve effective and efficient project and staff management.
The construction salary data generated above is compiled from multiple industry and salary sources, coupled with real-time data compiled by The Birmingham Group. As one of the leading recruiters in the nation, construction executive search firm, The Birmingham Group, interviews over 300 construction professionals each week.
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This is an exciting time in the world of construction. With this rapid turnaround over the past few years, many construction general contractors are being forced to reevaluate their construction salaries to stay competitive. We have compiled data from 4600+ individual construction management interviews performed by our staff.
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