Expected Earnings

• The expected earnings for a job in construction management are dependent upon experience, the size of the employer and the location in the country. For all U.S. construction management jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projected median earnings of $82,330 annually in May 2009. The bottom quartile made $62,700 annually, and the top quartile made $111,170.
  
  

Earnings By Municipality

• Municipal location was a significant factor determining earnings for construction management jobs. Median earnings in the top 10 municipalities were considerably higher than the national median. The top municipalities ranked by earnings were: Nassau-Suffolk, New York ($133,300); Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, New York ($127,690); Yakima, Washington ($124,350); New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania ($124,200); San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, California ($120,150); Northwestern Connecticut ($119,120); Salinas, California ($115,340); Lake County-Kenosha County, Illinois-Wisconsin ($114,930); Edison-New Brunswick, New Jersey ($113,300); and Railbelt/Southwest Alaska ($112,400). By comparison, median earnings for construction management jobs in the lowest-paying municipality, Southwest Missouri, were $29,140.
  
  

Jobs Available

• The vast majority of construction management jobs were located in large metropolitan areas. More than a third of all jobs in 2009 were in just 10 municipal locations: New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania (14,650); Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (9,260); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (7,820); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, California (7,670); Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia (5,280); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia (4,850); Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, Florida (4,150); Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin (4,030); San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California (3,470); and Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, California (3,420).
  
  

Education

• The largest industry group in the country, the Construction Management Association of America, recommends two distinct groups for information on education for construction management jobs. The American Council for Construction Education and Associated Schools of Construction list colleges and vocational educational providers where prospective applicants can learn more about a job in construction management.