Construction Project Manager

Construction, Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

Description

Construction project managers direct and supervise all phases of construction projects to ensure they finish on-time and under budget. They need excellent project management and risk management skills to effectively plan new construction or retrofit projects and evaluate and monitor progress, ensuring that quality and safety standards are met.

Construction project managers review and interpret project documents such as specifications, plans, drawings, equipment manuals, and safety procedures, and they use that information to determine schedules and budgets for new projects, negotiate contracts with vendors and clients, and allocate resources. They successfully coordinate work across the team through effectively communicating and delegating; collaborating with engineers and architects; finding, hiring, and managing the right subcontractors; supervising construction laborers; and offering guidance. Construction project managers should have strong analytical skills to accurately track costs and assess project progression, and they should apply good judgment to adjust the project plan if necessary.

Organizational skills help construction project managers successfully develop project processes and quality control documentation. Project managers are also responsible for coordinating required inspections with government authorities, and some project managers oversee multiple projects concurrently. Construction project managers need to be effective writers to draft scopes of work and project reports, and they should be comfortable using computers to perform their job duties. In addition, being customer service-oriented contributes to positive work relationships.

Construction project managers spend most of their time working at construction sites. Some even need to temporarily relocate during a project. They are typically employed full-time and sometimes work overtime to meet deadlines.

Job Outlook

According to the New York State Department of Labor, there are approximately 8,600 construction project managers in New York State who earn wages or salaries from employers. Opportunities for employment are expected to be favorable through 2028 – the Department projects this occupation to grow by 1,860 jobs (including self-employed workers) between 2018 and 2028.

Entering the Field

Construction project managers typically need to have both a degree in construction engineering (or a related field) and construction experience. A degree in business and knowledge of construction methods can also qualify someone to work as a construction project manager. While an associate degree accompanied by some work experience may be sufficient for positions that manage small projects, large construction firms often require a bachelor’s degree. Those with only a high school diploma and several years of work experience may also qualify for the job, yet they more often work as self-employed contractors.

Construction project managers may need a valid driver’s license to travel to worksites. New York State does not require construction project managers to be licensed, but local governments may have their own regulations requiring that they be licensed or registered. Check with local government authorities to confirm the requirements to work as a construction project manager.

Wages

In New York State, the median wage for construction managers is approximately $125,200. Entry-level workers earn about $78,900, and experienced workers earn about $174,000.

Annual Wage (Q1 2021 dollars, rounded to 100s) – Statewide and by Labor Market Region

Region	Entry	Median	Experienced
New York State	$78,900	$125,200	$174,000
Capital Region	$70,800	$85,900	$109,400
Central New York	$71,200	$93,700	$120,100
Finger Lakes	$72,200	$99,700	$116,800
Hudson Valley	$107,600	$156,500	$192,200
Long Island	$94,900	$138,400	$184,800
Mohawk Valley	$61,400	$85,300	$133,300
New York City	$79,500	$131,900	$185,500
North Country	$68,600	$92,600	$105,800
Southern Tier	$65,000	$81,800	$113,100
Western New York	$67,300	$98,000	$121,000

Source:  New York State Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Survey, SOC Code 11-9021 (Construction Managers)

Employers

The largest employer of construction project managers in New York State are nonresidential building construction companies. Building equipment contractors (which includes HVAC/R contractors) and local government are also common employers for construction project managers.

The top three employers with the most online job advertisements that referenced HVAC/R work for construction project managers in each region in 2020 are listed below.

Capital Region

• American Energy Care
• ABCO Facility Maintenance
• Albany Housing Authority

Central New York (All ads posted in 2020 were from two employers.)

• One70 Group
• Kimmel & Associates

Finger Lakes

• One70 Group
• EMCOR Facilities Services Incorporated
• Paul Davis Restoration of Greater Rochester NY

Hudson Valley (All ads posted in 2020 were from two employers.)

• Rishabh RPO
• Willdan

Long Island

• EMCOR Group
• Transform SR LLC
• Global Facility Management & Construction, Inc.

Mohawk Valley (Employers did not post any job ads online in 2020.)

New York City

• One70 Group
• Johnson Controls Incorporated
• Aramark

North Country (Employers did not post any job ads online in 2020.)

Southern Tier

• One70 Group
• Siemens
• Visions Federal Credit Union

Western New York

• One70 Group
• PCS Plumbing & Heating
• Stellar

Source: Burning Glass Technologies: Labor Insight™. 2021.

Labor Unions

Check with government agencies, construction contractors, or other companies that hire construction project managers to see if those positions are represented by a union contract, or check with local union chapters that are active in construction and HVAC/R to see if their members include construction project managers.

Education and Training Programs

A variety of educational programs may prepare workers to become construction project managers in the HVAC/R field – from a certificate or associate degree focused on construction engineering technology or business to a bachelor’s degree in construction management or business. Some of the largest programs in New York State (based on number of degrees awarded) are shown in the table below.

Educational Institution	Department	Certificate	Associate	Bachelor	Master	PhD
Capital Region
Excelsior College	Business	No	•Yes	•Yes	•	No
Hudson Valley Community College	Business and Criminal Justice	No	•Yes	No	No	No
Hudson Valley Community College	Engineering, Architecture, Construction, Computer Science and Mathematics	•Yes	•Yes	No	No	No
SUNY at Albany	School of Business	No	No	•Yes	•	No
SUNY Empire State College	School of Business	•Yes	•Yes	•Yes	•Yes	No
Central New York
Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse North	Business	No	•Yes	•Yes	No	No
Cayuga County Community College	School of Business	•Yes	•Yes	No	No	No
Cazenovia College	Business and Management	No	No	•Yes	No	No
Le Moyne College	Madden School of Business	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
Onondaga Community College	School of Business	No	•Yes	No	No	No
Onondaga Community College	School of Computing & Applied Technologies (Building Trades & Architectural Technology)	No	•Yes	No	No	No
SUNY College at Oswego	School of Business	No	No	•Yes	•	No
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry	Construction Management	No	No	•Yes	No	No
SUNY Morrisville	Business and Hospitality, Design and Engineering, & Renewable Energy	No	•Yes	•Yes	No	No
Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes Community College	Business and Technology	No	•Yes	No	No	No
Genesee Community College	Business & Commerce	No	•Yes	No	No	No
Keuka College	Business	No	No	•Yes	No	No
Monroe Community College	Business Administration	No	•Yes	No	No	No
Rochester Institute of Technology	Saunders College of Business	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
SUNY College at Brockport	School of Business & Management	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
SUNY College at Geneseo	School of Business	No	No	•Yes	No	No
Hudson Valley
Dutchess Community College	Business, Aviation, and Construction Professions	•Yes	•Yes	No	No	No
Marist College	School of Management	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
Mercy College	School of Business	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
Mount Saint Mary College	School of Business	No	No	•	•	No
Orange County Community College	Business	No	•Yes	No	No	No
SUNY Westchester Community College	Business	No	•Yes	No	No	No
Sullivan County Community College	Sustainability and Business & Entrepreneurship	No	•Yes	No	No	No
Long Island
Farmingdale State College	School of Business	•Yes	No	•Yes	No	No
Farmingdale State College	Architecture and Construction	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
Five Towns College	Business	No	•Yes	•Yes	No	No
Nassau County Community College	Business & Engineering, Physics, and Technology	•Yes	•Yes	No	No	No
St. Joseph’s College	Business Administration and Management	•Yes	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
Stony Brook University	College of Business	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
Suffolk County Community College	Business & Construction Technology	•Yes	•Yes	No	No	No
Mohawk Valley
Fulton-Montgomery Community College	Business	•Yes	•Yes	No	No	No
Hartwick College	Business Administration	No	No	•Yes	No	No
Herkimer County Community College	Business	No	•Yes	No	No	No
Mohawk Valley Community College	School of Business and Hospitality	No	•Yes	No	No	No
SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill	Business Administration	No	•	•Yes	No	No
SUNY Polytechnic Institute	Business	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
Utica College	Business and Economics	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
Utica College	Construction Management	No	No	•Yes	No	No
New York City
Borough of Manhattan Community College (CUNY)	Business Management	No	•Yes	No	No	No
CUNY Brooklyn College	Business Management	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
LaGuardia Community College (CUNY)	Business and Technology	No	•Yes	No	No	No
Lehman College (CUNY)	School of Business	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
New York City College of Technology (CUNY)	School of Technology & Design	•Yes	•Yes	•Yes	No	No
New York University	Stern School of Business	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	•Yes
Queensborough Community College (CUNY)	Business Academy	No	•Yes	No	No	No
St. Joseph’s College	Business Administration and Management	•	No	•Yes	•Yes
North Country
Clinton Community College	Business	•Yes	•Yes	No	No	No
Jefferson Community College	Business	No	•Yes	No	No	No
St. Lawrence University	Business in the Liberal Arts	No	No	•Yes	No	No
SUNY College at Plattsburgh	School of Business & Economics	No	No	•Yes	No	No
SUNY College at Potsdam	Business Administration	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
SUNY College of Technology at Canton	Canino School of Engineering Technology	No	•Yes	•Yes	No	No
SUNY College of Technology at Canton	School of Business and Liberal Arts	No	•Yes	•Yes	No	No
Southern Tier
Binghamton University	School of Management	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	•
Ithaca College	School of Business	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
SUNY Broome Community College	Business and Professional Studies	No	•Yes	No	No	No
SUNY Corning Community College	Business and Finance	No	•Yes	No	No	No
SUNY at Delhi	School of Applied Technologies	No	•Yes	•Yes	No	No
SUNY at Delhi	School of Business and Hospitality Management	No	•Yes	•Yes	No	No
Tompkins Cortland Community College	Business Administration & Construction and Environmental Technology	•Yes	•Yes	No	No	No
Western New York
Bryant & Stratton College	Business	•	•Yes	•Yes	No	No
Erie Community College	Business & Construction	•	•Yes	No	No	No
Jamestown Business College	Programs of Study	No	No	•Yes	No	No
Niagara County Community College	Business & STEM	•Yes	•Yes	No	No	No
SUNY at Alfred	Building Trades & Business	No	•Yes	•Yes	No	No
SUNY Buffalo State	Business	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	No
SUNY at Fredonia	School of Business	No	No	•Yes	No	No
University at Buffalo	School of Management	No	No	•Yes	•Yes	•Yes

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