Project Manager
Project & Operations
Runs the business side of a construction project so the people building it can focus on building it.
What is a Project Manager?
A Project Manager (PM) owns a construction project's budget, schedule, and contracts. They're the main point of contact between the owner, the architect, and the people actually building the project, making sure everyone has what they need, on time and on budget.
What they do
- Track budget and approve payments to subcontractors
- Review and respond to RFIs from the field
- Negotiate and process change orders
- Coordinate schedules between the owner, architect, and subcontractors
- Manage risk and resolve disputes before they become claims
A typical day
- 7:30 AMReview overnight RFIs and flag anything urgent for the site team
- 9:00 AMOwner/architect coordination call
- 11:00 AMWalk the site with the superintendent to check progress against schedule
- 1:00 PMReview and approve subcontractor pay applications
- 3:00 PMDraft a change order for scope the owner just added
Skills
Software
Pay expectations
Pay by experience, nationally
as of May 2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Construction Managers (SOC 11-9021), national data — entry/5-year/10-year mapped to the upper half of this occupation's wage distribution (25th-90th percentile); BLS doesn't track assistant-level titles separately, see the Assistant Project Manager / Assistant Superintendent pages for the lower-half mapping of the same distribution
Reviewed May 2025. Pay reflects the national wage distribution for this occupation, not a promise for any one job: entry level is the lower part of that range, 5 years in sits around the national median, and 10 years in is the upper part, since pay isn't actually tracked by years on the job. Real pay varies a lot by state, metro area, union status, and employer — scale these up or down for your market. These figures are base pay only: overtime, shift differentials, and per-project bonuses are standard across most construction trades and routinely push real earnings above what's shown here.
Education
- Required:
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Preferred:
- Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering, or related field
- Helpful:
- PMP or CCM certification
- Not necessary:
- A four-year degree is common but not the only path; many PMs move up from estimator or superintendent roles
Career progression
- 1.Project Engineer
- 2.Assistant Project Manager
- 3.Project Manager
- 4.Senior Project Manager
- 5.Director of Operations
Who hires for this role
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