How much do construction managers make?
The median construction manager in the United States earns $55.28 an hour, or $114,990 a year. The bottom 10% earn under $33.50 an hour; the top 10% clear $91.08. There are about 380,360 people doing this work nationally.
Those are US Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for employed workers, which is the honest baseline — and also the number most people are actually looking for. What you can bill as a self-employed contractor is a different question, and we cover it below.
One caveat on the occupation. BLS tracks this occupation as Construction Managers (SOC 11-9021), which is not identical to a self-employed general contractor running small residential jobs. It skews toward salaried managers on larger commercial projects, so read these figures as the employed end of the trade rather than what an owner-operator clears.
The full range
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom 10% | $33.50 | $69,680 |
| Median | $55.28 | $114,990 |
| Average (mean) | $59.79 | $124,363 |
| Top 10% | $91.08 | $189,446 |
The top decile earns 2.7× what the bottom decile earns, and 65% above the median. That gap is the useful part of this data: it is not really one job with one wage, it is a wide range where skill, licence and market decide where you land.
Where it pays most
New York pays the highest median at $74.69 an hour; Arkansas the lowest at $41.50. That is a 1.8× difference for the same job.
Highest paying states
| State | Median hourly | Annual | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $74.69 | $155,360 | +35% |
| Washington | $74.55 | $155,070 | +35% |
| Massachusetts | $69.71 | $145,010 | +26% |
| Alaska | $66.92 | $139,190 | +21% |
| New Jersey | $66.46 | $138,230 | +20% |
Lowest paying states
| State | Median hourly | Annual | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | $41.50 | $86,310 | -25% |
| Wyoming | $44.39 | $92,320 | -20% |
| West Virginia | $46.03 | $95,740 | -17% |
| Alabama | $46.61 | $96,960 | -16% |
| Kentucky | $46.64 | $97,020 | -16% |
Cost of living explains a lot of that spread but not all of it — licensing regimes and the local mix of commercial versus residential work matter too. We have a page for all 51 jurisdictions: see every state's construction managers pay data.
What actually moves the number
Project size dominates. Managing commercial and industrial work pays far above residential remodelling, and the step from field supervision into full project management is where the number moves.
Employed pay vs what you can bill
Everything above measures employed construction managers — W-2 wages. If you work for yourself, your billed rate has to cover a great deal that a wage does not: self-employment tax, insurance, vehicle and tools, unbillable hours spent quoting and chasing payment, and time lost between jobs.
A useful rule is that a self-employed rate needs to be roughly two to three times the equivalent employed wage before you are genuinely ahead. Our profit margin calculator works that out properly from your own overhead rather than a rule of thumb.
FAQ
How much do construction managers make an hour?
The national median is $55.28 an hour. The range runs from about $33.50 at the bottom tenth to $91.08 at the top tenth, so where you sit depends heavily on licence level, specialisation and state.
What is a good salary for a construction manager?
Above the $114,990 median puts you in the upper half nationally. Clearing $189,446 puts you in the top 10% of the occupation. Adjust for your state — the gap between New York and Arkansas is roughly 1.8×.
Which state pays construction managers the most?
New York, at a median of $74.69 an hour — 35% above the national median. Cost of living offsets some of that, so compare take-home rather than headline rate.
Can construction managers make six figures?
Yes — the median is already $114,990, and the top 10% clear $189,446.
Where does this data come from?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics programme, 2025 release, for Construction Managers (SOC 119021). It is the same source used across our state-by-state rate pages, so the figures are directly comparable.