How much do general contractors make in 2026?
General contractors are counted in the BLS construction managers series: OEWS May 2025 gives the SOC 11-9021 national median as $114,990 a year ($55.28 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $69,690 and the top 10% at $189,440. That figure is the market rate for managing construction, and it is the right benchmark for a salaried general contractor employed by a firm — but not for an owner. A general contracting business earns from margin on completed work, and that margin depends on estimating accuracy, subcontractor management, programme control and cash management rather than on any wage scale. A small residential general contractor running two or three projects typically earns around this median once they have paid themselves properly; a commercial general contractor with a staffed office and a bonded backlog can earn far above the top decile; and a contractor who misprices a job or loses control of a subcontractor can absorb the entire margin and more. Licensing reinforces the point that this is a business rather than a trade: most states license the general contracting entity, commonly requiring a qualifying individual, financial statements or net worth evidence, a surety bond, liability insurance and trade and business examinations, with monetary thresholds and classifications varying substantially between states. Employment is projected to grow 8.7% through 2034 with roughly 46,800 openings a year. → Full general contractor 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.
- General Contractors 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.
- The $114,990 construction manager median is the right benchmark for salaried construction management, not for a contracting business owner's income.
- General contracting earns from margin on completed work: estimating accuracy, subcontractor control, programme and cash management determine income far more than any wage scale.
- Most states license the contracting entity, commonly requiring a qualifying individual, financial or net worth evidence, surety bond, insurance and trade and business examinations.
US General Contractor Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do general contractors 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 general contractor earn at each career stage?
General contracting income depends on whether you are being paid to manage construction or earning margin on it. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 11-9021, which measures employed construction managers rather than business owners.
By State
Which states pay general contractors 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, and they describe employed construction managers rather than contractor income. Contractor licensing is state-administered with materially different thresholds and classifications, so verify requirements with the state licensing board directly.
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 general contractors the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. For a contracting business, local permit volume, subcontractor availability and construction cost levels matter far more than a metro wage index.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a general contractor’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 general contractor pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. General Contractors 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 general contractor wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a general contractor 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
General Contractor Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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