Construction Manager Job Description: Template, Duties, Requirements & Pay (2026)
A construction manager plans, budgets, schedules and supervises a construction project from preconstruction through closeout — coordinating subcontractors, owners, architects and inspectors, and owning the cost, schedule, safety and quality outcomes. This page has a copy-paste construction manager job description template (with project manager and superintendent variants), the duties and requirements that matter, and how contractors reach management candidates who aren't looking.
What a construction manager does
The title covers three jobs that contractors staff differently. A project manager runs the project from the office: estimates, buyouts, subcontracts, schedules, change orders, billing, owner meetings. A superintendent runs it from the field: daily coordination of trades, site logistics, safety, inspections, quality. A construction manager at a smaller contractor does both, and at an owner or CM-agency firm represents the owner across several projects. The posting should say which, because a strong superintendent and a strong PM are rarely the same person and don't screen on the same things.
Core construction manager duties and responsibilities:
- Plan, schedule and coordinate construction activities to meet milestones and the completion date
- Prepare and manage budgets, estimates, cost tracking and progress reports; control change orders
- Negotiate and administer contracts with subcontractors, suppliers, architects and consultants
- Direct and supervise field staff and subcontractors; determine labor and equipment needs
- Inspect work for compliance with plans, specifications, building codes and safety regulations; run the quality control program
- Own site safety: plans, toolbox talks, incident response, OSHA compliance
- Confer with owners, architects, engineers and inspectors; resolve problems and document decisions
- Obtain permits, coordinate inspections, and manage closeout, punch lists and turnover
- Use project management software ([Procore / Autodesk Build / Bluebeam / MS Project or P6]) for documents, RFIs, submittals and schedules
The BLS counts about 609,100 construction managers, with roughly 49,700 openings a year and growth of 9% through 2035 on the back of infrastructure, data center and manufacturing construction. The 2025 median wage was $55.28 an hour, or $114,990 a year; managers on large commercial and industrial projects and those with CCM or PMP credentials sit well above it. A bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering or a related field is the most common entry, but a large share of superintendents and many CMs came up through a trade. Experienced construction managers are rarely unemployed, which is why social media job advertising reaches more of them than a job board posting.
Construction Manager job description template
Copy this into your ATS or job board, replace the bracketed fields, and cut anything that doesn't apply. It's written the way applicants read — pay, schedule and location first — because those are the three things people screen on before they read a duty list.
Job title
Construction [Manager / Project Manager / Superintendent] — [Commercial / Multifamily / Civil / Industrial], [City, State]
Summary
[Company] is hiring a construction [manager / project manager / superintendent] to lead [project type, e.g., $5–20M commercial ground-up] projects in [region]. Salary is $[XXX,XXX]–$[XXX,XXX] plus [annual bonus tied to project margin and schedule], [vehicle or allowance], [phone and laptop]. You'll run [X] projects at a time with [a project engineer and an assistant super], reporting to [the VP of Operations]. [Local work — no travel / regional travel with per diem.] [X]+ years running similar projects required.
Responsibilities
- Own project cost, schedule, safety and quality from award through closeout
- Build and maintain the project schedule; drive subcontractor coordination to hit milestones
- Manage budget, buyout, change orders, pay applications and monthly cost forecasts
- Lead owner, architect and subcontractor meetings; document decisions and manage RFIs and submittals
- Enforce the site safety program and OSHA compliance; lead incident response
- Inspect work for quality and conformance with plans and code; manage punch and turnover
- Mentor project engineers, assistant superintendents and field staff
- [Support estimating and preconstruction on upcoming pursuits]
Requirements
- [5+] years managing [commercial / multifamily / civil / industrial] construction projects of $[X]M+
- Proven track record delivering projects on schedule and within budget
- Working knowledge of building codes, OSHA requirements, contracts and construction means and methods
- Proficiency with [Procore / Autodesk Build / Bluebeam / MS Project or Primavera P6]
- Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering or related field, or equivalent field experience
- Valid driver's license; [OSHA 30]
Preferred
- CCM, PMP or [CHST / LEED AP] certification
- Experience with [design-build / CM-at-risk / public work / healthcare / data centers]
- Estimating and preconstruction experience
- Experience [self-performing concrete / steel / MEP coordination]
- [Bilingual Spanish/English]
Schedule and pay
- $[XXX,XXX]–$[XXX,XXX] base salary
- [Annual bonus X–X% tied to project margin, schedule and safety]
- [Company vehicle or $XXX/month allowance, fuel card]
- [Per diem and lodging on travel projects]
Benefits
- Medical, dental and vision [company-paid for employee]
- [401(k) with X% match / profit sharing / ESOP]
- Paid time off and [X] paid holidays
- Phone, laptop and [vehicle]
- Paid certifications and continuing education
- [Relocation assistance]
Requirements: what's required, what's preferred, and what kills applications
Management postings lean on degrees and years, and both filter out people who'd do the job well. The items below separate what predicts performance from what merely narrows the pool.
| Requirement | What to know |
|---|---|
| Years of experience | Tie it to project type and size (“5+ years running $5M+ commercial ground-up”), not a bare number. A manager with three years on the right projects beats one with fifteen on the wrong ones. |
| Bachelor's degree | Common but not required; many superintendents and CMs came through a trade. Write “or equivalent field experience” and mean it — it keeps trade-track candidates in the pool. |
| Software | Name the platform you use. Managers move between Procore and Autodesk Build in weeks; requiring one specifically filters out people who'd be productive by month two. |
| Certifications (CCM, PMP, OSHA 30) | Preferred, except where a customer or public-work contract requires one at start. Offer to pay for them. |
| Project type | Be specific: healthcare, K-12, multifamily, tilt-up, civil. Managers self-select accurately on this, and the wrong-fit hire is the most expensive one a contractor makes. |
| Travel | State it plainly: local only, regional with per diem, or traveling. It's the first thing an employed manager checks. |
| Driver's license | Required for site work; the vehicle or allowance belongs in the pay section, not buried here. |
| “Strong leadership and communication skills” | Universal and unscreenable. Replace with what the job needs: run OAC meetings, manage 15 subs on site, present forecasts to ownership. |
How to customize it for your setting
Project manager (office-led)
Lead with project size, contract types and the bonus structure. PMs screen on estimating support, the project engineer bench and how change orders are handled.
Superintendent (field-led)
Lead with the project, the schedule, the crew and whether work is local. Superintendents came up through a trade more often than not — drop the degree requirement and keep the safety and quality language. Our construction recruiting page covers reaching field leaders who already have a job.
Owner's rep / CM agency
Different pool: multiple concurrent projects, owner-side reporting, less field. Post it as owner's representative or CM, name the portfolio, and emphasize the program size.
Residential and remodel
Smaller projects, more customer contact, often sales-adjacent. Say how many jobs run at once and whether the role quotes work. See residential and home improvement hiring.
What it costs to reach construction managers on social
We don't publish a construction-manager-specific cost per applicant: management roles run in smaller numbers and usually alongside field roles in the same campaign. What we can say from the 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark and 45 field and trades campaigns is that skilled trades applicants cost a median of $14.14 in 2026 ($9.28 blended across 2025–2026), and that customer-facing and office roles at contractors fill for roughly two-thirds the cost of field roles. Management candidates are reachable the same way field crews are — on social, while employed — and the ad has to do the work a recruiter's call would.
The alternative for management hires is a search firm at 20–30% of first-year salary, which on a $115,000 manager is $23,000–$35,000 per hire. That comparison for trades roles is in what it costs to recruit skilled trades workers; the skilled trades recruiting page has the campaign data behind it.
If you are hiring construction managers rather than describing the job, the recruiting side — where they are, what the ad has to say, and what an applicant costs to reach — is on our how to recruit construction workers page.
Writing the ad version
The ad for a management role is the project and the money: “Commercial superintendent — $120–$145K + bonus, truck, local ground-up work, $10–30M projects. [Company], [City]. 5+ years running similar work. Two-minute application.” Knockout questions: years managing similar projects, largest project run, travel willingness, software. A short résumé upload is acceptable here — it's the one frontline-adjacent role where candidates expect it — but keep it optional with a LinkedIn URL alternative.
Show the work: a drone shot of the current project and the ownership team saying what's in the backlog outperforms a logo and a benefits list. Managers move for backlog, autonomy and a boss they trust.
“CM” in a construction manager job description: three different jobs under two letters
CM is an abbreviation that hides a real distinction, and getting it wrong in a posting is how you end up interviewing candidates for a job you were not advertising. In construction it means one of three things, and a CM job description should make clear which from the first line.
| What CM means | Who employs the role | What the person actually does | Who to advertise to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction manager — the occupation | General contractor, owner, developer | Plans, budgets, coordinates and supervises a project from preconstruction to closeout | Project managers and superintendents |
| CM at risk — a delivery method | The contractor, who holds the risk | Preconstruction with the owner, then delivers the work under a guaranteed maximum price | Candidates with GMP, buyout and subcontractor management experience |
| CM agency or owner's rep — an advisory role | The owner, as a consultant | Represents the owner's interest; advises and administers but does not hold the trade contracts | Candidates from owner's-rep and program-management backgrounds, not from the trades |
The two that get confused in postings are CM at risk and CM agency, and the candidates are not interchangeable. A CM-at-risk role is a contractor job: buyout, subcontractor performance, schedule recovery, cost against a guaranteed maximum price, and personal exposure when the number moves. A CM-agency or owner's-rep role is an advisory job: reviewing the contractor's schedule and pay applications, managing consultants, protecting the owner's budget and program, with authority that comes from the contract rather than from the payroll. Advertising one and describing the other produces a good candidate who declines after the second interview.
Whichever it is, the posting should carry four specifics that most construction manager job descriptions leave out: the project type and dollar range, whether the role is field-based or office-based and how often it travels between sites, the delivery method, and the software stack — Procore, Autodesk Build, Bluebeam, P6 or Microsoft Project. Experienced construction managers screen on those four before they read the responsibilities.
For reference, BLS puts Construction Managers (SOC 11-9021) at a median of $55.28 an hour, $114,990 a year in May 2025 across 380,360 jobs, with 9.1% growth projected for 2025–35 and about 49,700 openings a year — one of the faster-growing management occupations, and the reason this is a seller's market for the candidate rather than for you.
Construction management job description: the roles on the ladder
Construction management is the field; the jobs inside it are distinct roles, and a posting should name which one it is. These are the five most contractors hire for.
| Role | What they own | Typical background |
|---|---|---|
| Project engineer or assistant project manager | RFIs, submittals, meeting minutes and document control; supports the PM on buyout and change orders | Entry level: a construction management or engineering degree, or field experience plus strong software skills |
| Assistant superintendent or field engineer | Daily field coordination under a superintendent: layout, look-ahead schedules, trade coordination, safety walks | Trade experience, or a degree plus field time |
| Project manager | Budget, schedule, subcontracts, change orders, billing and owner communication for one or more projects | Several years as a project engineer or APM, or as a superintendent |
| Superintendent | The site: sequencing trades, safety, quality, inspections and daily reports | Usually came up through a trade |
| Construction manager or senior PM | Delivery of a project or a portfolio; both office and field sides at smaller firms; the owner's representative at CM agencies | Years running comparable projects; CCM or PMP often preferred |
The duties share a core at every level: plan the work, control cost and schedule, coordinate subcontractors and the design team, keep the site safe, and document everything. What changes is scope, and whether the role is office-led or field-led. The template above covers the construction manager, project manager and superintendent versions. For an entry-level project engineer, cut the years of experience, keep the software and document-control duties, and say what the path to project manager looks like.
Frequently asked questions
What are the duties and responsibilities of a construction manager?
Planning, scheduling and coordinating all construction activities; preparing and controlling budgets, estimates and change orders; negotiating and administering subcontracts; supervising field staff and subcontractors; inspecting work for code, plan and safety compliance; running the quality and safety programs; and conferring with owners, architects and inspectors through closeout.
What qualifications does a construction manager need?
Most have a bachelor's degree in construction management, civil engineering or a related field, though many come up through a trade to superintendent and then manager. Employers look for several years running comparable projects, knowledge of codes, contracts and OSHA requirements, and proficiency with project management software. CCM (from CMAA) and PMP certifications are respected extras.
How much do construction managers make?
The 2025 national median was $55.28 an hour, or $114,990 a year, per O*NET/BLS. Managers on large commercial, industrial and infrastructure projects, and those with bonuses tied to project margin, commonly earn $140,000–$200,000+.
What's the difference between a construction manager, a project manager and a superintendent?
A project manager runs the project's commercial and administrative side from the office (budget, contracts, schedule, owner relations); a superintendent runs the field (trades coordination, logistics, safety, quality); a construction manager may do both at a smaller contractor, or represent the owner across multiple projects at a CM firm. Postings should name which role is being hired.
What should a construction manager job description template include?
The role type (PM, superintendent, CM), project types and sizes, salary range and bonus structure, vehicle or allowance, travel expectations, required years on comparable projects, software used, degree or equivalent experience language, certifications preferred, and benefits.
What does CM stand for in a construction manager job description?
Construction manager — but it also refers to two delivery arrangements that are different jobs. CM at risk is a contractor role delivering the work under a guaranteed maximum price, with buyout, subcontractor management and cost exposure. CM agency, or owner's representative, is an advisory role employed by the owner that administers and advises without holding the trade contracts. A posting should say which from the first line, because the candidate pools do not overlap.
What is a CM job description?
A construction manager plans, budgets, coordinates and supervises a project from preconstruction through closeout: scope and buyout, schedule, subcontractor coordination, cost control and change management, safety and quality, submittals and RFIs, owner and design-team communication, and closeout. A usable posting adds the project type and dollar range, field or office basis, the delivery method, and the software stack. BLS puts the median at $55.28 an hour, $114,990 a year, in May 2025.
What is a construction management job description?
It describes a role in the construction management field, which runs from project engineer and assistant project manager up through superintendent, project manager and construction manager. All of them plan the work, control cost and schedule, coordinate subcontractors and the design team, keep the site safe and document the project. A good posting names the specific role, whether it is office-led or field-led, the project types and size, and the software used.
Other job description templates
See all job description templates — free, editable templates for frontline, trades, healthcare and warehouse roles.
Hiring construction managers?
The job description is the document; the ad is the thing that gets read. We write it, run it where working construction managers are scrolling, and report what each applicant cost with the management fee inside — cost per applicant, not cost per hire.
Pay, employment and outlook figures: O*NET OnLine (Construction Managers, 11-9021), 2025 wage data, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost-per-applicant figures: Boostpoint 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark and 45 Boostpoint-managed field and trades campaigns 2025–2026. Last updated August 2026.