Construction Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate, usually through subordinate supervisory personnel, activities concerned with the construction and maintenance of structures, facilities, and systems. Participate in the conceptual development of a construction project and oversee its organization, scheduling, budgeting, and implementation. Includes managers in specialized construction fields, such as carpentry or plumbing.

Most important skills

Judgment and Decision Making
Management of Personnel Resources
Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Coordination
Complex Problem Solving
Time Management
Reading Comprehension

Key knowledge

Building and Construction
Administration and Management
Mathematics
Engineering and Technology
Customer and Personal Service
Mechanical
Production and Processing
Economics and Accounting

What the work involves

Confer with supervisory personnel, owners, contractors, or design professionals to discuss and resolve matters, such as work procedures, complaints, or construction problems.
Plan, organize, or direct activities concerned with the construction or maintenance of structures, facilities, or systems.
Determine labor requirements for dispatching workers to construction sites.
Inspect or review projects to monitor compliance with building and safety codes or other regulations.
Study job specifications to determine appropriate construction methods.
Requisition supplies or materials to complete construction projects.
Prepare and submit budget estimates, progress reports, or cost tracking reports.
Develop or implement quality control programs.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Enterprising, Conventional, Realistic.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education

Bachelor's Degree (40% of respondents)

Related experience

Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (20%)

On-the-job training

Over 4 years, up to and including 10 years (25%)

Preparation level

O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Licensing

Depends on state or role (national summary): Some states require construction managers to be licensed; certification is optional. source (checked 2026-10-25)

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections; State licensing authorities (curated, see evidence links) · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	High	Higher on contact with others than 69% of occupations compared	65% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	High	Higher on dealing with the public than 69% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Teamwork	Very high	Higher on teamwork than 80% of occupations compared	70% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	Moderate	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 57% of occupations compared	40% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	High	Higher on time pressure than 79% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Conflict situations	High	Higher on conflict situations than 74% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Moderate	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 50% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Consequence of error	High	Higher on consequence of error than 72% of occupations compared	40% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: high
Conflict situations: high
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
Consequence of error: high

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions