Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise construction projects from start to finish.

Many construction managers have a main office, but spend most of their time working out of a field office at a construction site, where they monitor the project and make daily decisions about construction activities. The need to meet deadlines and respond to emergencies often requires construction managers to work many hours.

Large construction firms increasingly prefer candidates with both construction experience and a bachelor’s degree in a construction-related field. Although individuals with a high school diploma and many years of experience in a construction trade may be hired as construction managers, these individuals are typically qualified to become self-employed general contractors.

Employment of construction managers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2014 to 2024, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Construction managers will be needed as overall construction activity increases over the coming decade. Those with a bachelor’s degree in construction science, construction management, or civil engineering, coupled with construction experience, will have the best job prospects.

This occupation supported 485,000 jobs in 2012 and 373,200 jobs in 2014, reflecting a decline of 23.1%. In 2012, this occupation was projected to increase by 16.1% in 2022 to 563,200 jobs. As of 2014, to keep pace with prediction, the expected number of jobs was 500,600, compared with an observed value of 373,200, 25.4% lower than expected. This indicates current employment trends are much worse than the 2012 trend within this occupation. In 2014, this occupation was projected to increase by 3.7% in 2024 to 391,100 jobs. Linear extrapolation of the 2012 projection for 2022 results in an expected number of 578,800 jobs for 2024, 48.0% higher than the 2014 projection for 2024. This indicates expectations for future employment trends are much worse than the 2012 trend within this occupation.