How much do construction superintendents make in 2026?
Construction superintendents are counted in the BLS first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers series: OEWS May 2025 puts the SOC 47-1011 national median at $79,920 a year ($38.42 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $53,280 and the top 10% at $128,260. Superintendents sit in the upper half of that band, because the series also counts working foremen leading small crews, and the two jobs are not comparable. A superintendent owns the site: the programme, the sequence in which trades work, site logistics and access, quality and inspection outcomes, safety across everyone on site, and the daily decisions that determine whether a project finishes on time. On larger commercial projects the role carries no tools at all and functions as field management, reporting to a project manager who owns the commercial side. Position within the band tracks project value and complexity above everything else — a superintendent on a fit-out is paid very differently from one on a hospital, data centre or high-rise structure. It is also worth noting that many superintendent roles at general contractors are salaried and exempt, so the long hours characteristic of the job are not separately compensated, and a vehicle or allowance is usually part of the package. Employment is projected to grow 5.3% through 2034 with roughly 74,400 openings a year. → Full construction superintendent career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $79,920 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Construction Superintendents earn a national median $79,920/yr ($38.42/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-1011); the P10 to P90 range is $53,280 to $128,260.
- Superintendents sit in the upper half of the $53,280 to $128,260 supervisory band, because the same series also counts working foremen leading small crews.
- Project value and complexity are the dominant pay variable — hospital, data centre and high-rise work pays well above fit-out and light commercial.
- Most general contractor superintendent roles are salaried and exempt, so the long hours are not separately paid; a vehicle or allowance is usually included but is not wage income.
US Construction Superintendent Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do construction superintendents 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 47-1011; 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 47-1011, 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 superintendent earn at each career stage?
Superintendent pay follows project value, complexity and how much of the site the role owns. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 47-1011, which also contains crew-level foremen.
By State
Which states pay construction superintendents 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. Superintendent pay follows project pipeline more than local wage levels: a market with active institutional and industrial construction pays superintendents well regardless of its general wage index.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($91,910), the highest-paying state shown. See all 51 state salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay construction superintendents the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. Complex projects concentrate in larger metros, and superintendents frequently relocate or travel for the duration of a major project.
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 superintendent’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 superintendent pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Construction Superintendents 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 superintendent wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a construction superintendent 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 Superintendent Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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