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 550,300 construction managers, with roughly 46,800 openings a year and growth of 7% or more through 2034 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.