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Construction Management

Types of Degrees Construction Management Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Construction Management may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	87
Associate’s Degree	500
Bachelor’s Degree	2,931
Master’s Degree	711
Doctor’s Degree	6

What Construction Management Majors Need to Know

Studies in Construction Management emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Construction Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Construction Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Building and Construction — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Construction Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Management of Personnel Resources — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Construction Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Construction Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Construction Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Jobber Computer Plus	Analytical or scientific software	—
Autodesk Revit	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Profitool software (human resources feature)	Human resources software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Google Drive	Cloud-based data access and sharing software	—
Procore software	Analytical or scientific software	✓
3M Post-it App	Word processing software	—
Yardi software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Construction Management graduates include:

• Weatherization Operations Manager
• Construction Project Manager
• Utility Division Project Manager
• Maintenance of Way Superintendent (MOW Superintendent)
• Project Superintendent
• Construction Foreman
• Bridges and Buildings Supervisor
• Street Supervisor
• Site Supervision Technical Operator
• Superintendent
• Construction Superintendent
• Construction Area Manager
• Project Coordinator
• Multifamily Superintendent
• General Superintendent

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Construction Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	40%
High school diploma or equivalent	15%
Postsecondary certificate	15%
Some college courses	10%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10%
Master’s degree	5%
Less than a high school diploma	5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Construction Management?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 84.9% of Construction Management degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	638	15.1%
Men	3,597	84.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Construction Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,923	69.0%
Asian	88	2.1%
Hispanic or Latino	637	15.0%
Black or African American	219	5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	19	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	10	0.2%
Two or More Races	104	2.5%
Race Unknown	122	2.9%
International Students	113	2.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Construction Management Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Construction Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$73,015
4 years	$82,569
5 years	$93,031

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $93,031 — roughly 27% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Construction Management Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Construction Management. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	8	4
Bachelor’s	12	8
Master’s	9	3
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Construction Management Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Construction Management graduates earn a median of $82,569 four years after completion — roughly 117% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Business Administration and Management, General	336,590
Business/Commerce, General	57,976
Operations Management and Supervision	12,273
Construction Management	4,247
Construction Project Management	12
Construction Management, Other	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.