How much do construction quality control managers make in 2026?
Construction quality control managers are counted in the BLS construction managers series: OEWS May 2025 puts the SOC 11-9021 national median at $114,990 a year ($55.28 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $69,690 and the top 10% at $189,440. Quality control management typically sits around and below that midpoint on general commercial work and above it on projects where quality control is a contractual requirement rather than a good practice. That distinction is the key to the role. On federal construction — Army Corps of Engineers and Naval Facilities Engineering Command projects in particular — a designated quality control manager with specified training is a contract requirement, responsible for the three-phase control process, definable features of work, submittal review and daily quality control reports. Similar structures apply on many institutional, healthcare and industrial projects. Those roles pay above general commercial quality positions because the appointment is contractually mandated and the person must be acceptable to the client. Position in the band also follows project scale and technical content: quality control on a process plant or hospital, with commissioning and validation interfaces, sits well above quality oversight on a commercial fit-out. Employment is projected to grow 8.7% through 2034 with roughly 46,800 openings a year. → Full construction quality control manager career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $114,990 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Construction Quality Control Managers earn a national median $114,990/yr ($55.28/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-9021); the P10 to P90 range is $69,690 to $189,440.
- Quality control management pays above general commercial quality roles where the appointment is a contract requirement — notably on federal, institutional and industrial projects.
- Federal construction requires a designated quality control manager with specified training running three-phase control, definable features of work and daily reporting.
- Project technical content matters: process plant and healthcare quality control with commissioning interfaces sits well above fit-out quality oversight inside the $69,690 to $189,440 band.
US Construction Quality Control Manager Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do construction quality control managers earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 11-9021; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-9021, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a construction quality control manager earn at each career stage?
Quality control pay follows contractual obligation and the technical complexity of what is being controlled. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 11-9021.
By State
Which states pay construction quality control managers the most in 2026?
State figures are modeled estimates — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers salary-calculator state wage index — not BLS state observations. Federal and institutional construction volume in a region drives demand for contractually required quality control managers more than local wage levels do.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($132,240), the highest-paying state shown. See all 51 state salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay construction quality control managers the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. Quality control managers frequently follow projects, and federal and industrial work is often located away from metropolitan centres entirely.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a construction quality control manager’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does construction quality control manager pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Construction Quality Control Managers sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify construction quality control manager wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a construction quality control manager actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Construction Quality Control Manager Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
Construction Quality Control Manager career research journey
Do your homework, then let the network do the rest.Get the job, then keep rising
FreeSet your intent, matching jobs come to you. No applying.
A roadmap to your next licence tier and higher pay band.
Once placed, we cover all certification, licence & career-guide fees.
Hiring construction quality control managers?
Get a verified shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates in 48 hours
GlobalCybers verifies active state licenses, trade certifications, Intent and right-to-work status before any candidate reaches your portal. Flat $2,999/mo RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), up to 3 concurrent roles, or a free trial (pay on hire). 90-day written guarantee.
Related · Construction Quality Control Manager
Everything for construction quality control managers in one place
Salary data, licensing, interview prep, and hiring, all cross-linked so you (and search engines) can move through the full construction quality control manager cluster.