Construction managers are responsible for successfully overseeing and leading a variety of construction projects from beginning to end. Because construction managers are also project managers, these professionals must be organized, strategic thinkers with the ability to collaborate with designers, architects, builders and other engineers to take theory and apply it to the construction process.
If you are interested in launching a lucrative and successful career in the field of construction management, then you should be aware of the various careers in construction management.
We are here to outline just a few of the careers in construction management as well as the construction management job outlook.
The job outlook and salary projects for professionals working in the field of construction management are both bright and lucrative.
Here are just a few of the statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
The construction management job outlook is bright. In fact, the construction management field is projected to grow 5 percent in the next 10 years, faster than the national average for all careers.
The median annual salary for construction managers is $101,480. In 2022, the lowest 10 percent earned less than $62,210, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $168,390.
Now, let’s explore a variety of sought-after careers in construction management for ambitious engineering professionals.
Construction manager — Construction managers are responsible for the planning, budgeting, overseeing and implementing of construction projects from start to finish.
Construction estimator — Construction estimators are responsible for preparing and updating cost estimates per the Construction Specification Institute (CSI) MasterFormat framework from pre-project planning through project completion.
Director of construction — A director of construction will typically be responsible for overseeing, supervising and directing a construction-related project.
Project engineer for construction — Construction project engineers work with engineers and contractors to ensure the successful and efficient completion of a construction project.
Engineering analyst — Engineering analysts may work in a variety of professional environments, from information technology to health care. They play a role in determining how goods are produced and develop conclusions based on their analysis.
Engineering manager — Engineering managers work in industrial production plants or construction sites to direct and coordinate activities for architectural or engineering companies.
Construction engineer — Construction engineers ensure that construction projects are built according to plan and may be responsible for the safety of temporary structures during construction.
LEED manager — A LEED manager working in construction management is responsible for ensuring that all construction projects fulfill LEED requirements.
Engineering program manager — Program managers for an engineering company are responsible for a variety of tasks including providing the vision for repair and replacement of products and managing infrastructure projects from beginning to end.
Jobs in construction management are diverse, high-paying and rewarding, making it an ideal career path for ambitious engineering professionals. Vanderbilt University School of Engineering offers a master of engineering in civil engineering with a concentration in construction management to help you advance your career in the expanding field of construction and engineering.
“I would encourage both newcomers and mid-career professionals to consider the construction management program at Vanderbilt. The value of an education is not measured solely by the knowledge you gain from the courses (which is considerable), but also in the contacts you make, the access to industry professionals you gain and the future earning capacity that this type of degree in civil engineering provides." — Claire Janaway Siedschlag, M.Eng., LEED Cost Engineer, Smithsonian Facilities
Built on the foundation of civil engineering, Vanderbilt University’s multidisciplinary program teaches the latest developments in construction technologies and software with management principles to understand, address and solve the broad range of challenges confronting the construction industry — now, and in the future.
If you are ready to join a community of visionary innovators with the Vanderbilt engineering community, we invite you to request more information or start your online application today.