What is the salary and career path for a construction quality control manager?
A construction quality control manager is a broad match to Construction Managers (SOC 11-9021), the code that captures the QC-manager role on building and civil projects; the OEWS May 2025 median for the code is $114,990 a year ($55.28 an hour), from $69,690 at the 10th percentile to $189,440 at the 90th. BLS projects 8.7% employment growth for construction managers over 2024–2034 with about 46,800 openings a year. The role usually needs a construction, civil-engineering or construction-management background plus inspection credentials such as ACI concrete, AWS welding-inspector (CWI) or ICC certifications rather than a single license.
- Construction Quality Control Managers earn a national median $114,990/yr ($55.28/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-9021); the top 10% clear $189,440.
- It is a broad-match role: BLS Construction Managers (SOC 11-9021) is the code that captures the construction QC/QA manager at a $114,990 median, alongside project and superintendent roles.
- There is no single license; the qualifying credentials are inspection certifications — ACI concrete, AWS CWI welding inspector and ICC — plus the CQM-C course on federal jobs.
- BLS projects 8.7% growth for SOC 11-9021 through 2034 with about 46,800 openings a year; the ladder runs QC inspector ($69,690) to QC manager ($114,990 median) to regional QA/QC manager ($151,640) to director of quality ($189,440 top decile).
Career Path
How do you become a construction quality control manager?
QC inspector / field engineer
Performing concrete, soils and weld inspections and documenting tests under the QC manager; entry pay sits near the 10th percentile of $69,690 for SOC 11-9021.
Construction quality control manager
Owning the inspection and test plan and non-conformance program on a project pays around the $114,990 median for the code.
Senior / regional QA/QC manager
Running quality across multiple projects or a region pays toward the 75th percentile of $151,640.
Director of quality
Setting the quality program for the whole company reaches the 90th percentile of $189,440.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays construction quality control managers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-9021. National median: $114,990. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does construction quality control manager pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles construction quality control managers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: construction quality control managers rank 1 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +8.7% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly construction quality control managers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-9021 (construction quality control managers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do construction quality control managers need?
American Concrete Institute certification to sample and test fresh concrete; a common requirement for accepting structural concrete. See all state licences →
American Welding Society credential to inspect and accept structural welds; frequently required on steel-framed and civil work.
International Code Council certifications (e.g., structural, reinforced concrete) that qualify inspection of code-governed work.
OSHA 30-hour construction safety plus, on federal jobs, the USACE/NAVFAC Construction Quality Management course required of the CQC manager.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do construction quality control managers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 11-9021
Salary Levers
How do construction quality control managers earn above the $114,990 BLS median?
Project scale and federal work
Large federal and infrastructure jobs that require a named CQC manager pay above small commercial work, moving from the $69,690 band toward the $114,990 median
Inspection certification stack
Holding CWI plus ACI and ICC credentials commands a premium and moves pay toward the $151,640 seventy-fifth percentile
Regional / multi-project scope
Running quality across a region rather than one project pays toward the $151,640–$189,440 top band
Director-level program ownership
Owning the company-wide quality program is what reaches the $189,440 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a construction quality control manager worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-9021. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Construction Quality Control Manager Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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