Highest Paying Executive Construction Jobs: Current BLS Pay Data

This post uses Bureau of Labor Statistics data: wages from the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey and growth projections from the Occupational Outlook Handbook, which covers 2025 to 2035. Unlike self-reported salary sites, BLS wages come from employer survey data.

One limit up front. BLS has no category called "VP of operations" or "project executive." The table matches each construction title to the closest BLS occupation, and some matches are loose. BLS wage figures are national and cross-industry, so they do not reflect every bonus, profit share or equity arrangement that senior construction roles carry. Pay in your region and at your size of firm will differ.

May 2025 pay by role

Medians are from BLS OEWS, May 2025. Growth rates are from the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Both cover all industries unless noted. The highest earners in construction are most likely to be at the top of the range or above it.

The roles, one at a time

Chief executives and other top executives

Chief executives have a median wage of $213,990 across all industries, and the 90th percentile is $507,730. BLS projects 5% growth for top executives overall. The typical entry requirement is a bachelor's degree plus five or more years in a related occupation.

Vice presidents and directors of operations

The VP of operations or director of operations is the closest match to BLS's general and operations managers, with a median of $105,770 and a 90th percentile of $253,390. This category is very broad and includes small-business managers in many fields, so the median understates what an operations executive at a mid-size or large contractor earns. Use the 75th and 90th percentiles ($167,280 and $253,390) as a better guide.

The job covers budgets across divisions, hiring and developing project and field leadership, safety performance, technology, and delivery against company goals. Most people reach it after a decade or more in project management or field leadership. A bachelor's degree in construction, engineering or business is standard, and an MBA helps in some firms.

Architectural and engineering managers

Leaders of design, engineering and preconstruction groups fall under architectural and engineering managers. The median is $171,270, higher than any other row here except chief executives, and the 90th percentile is $262,760. BLS projects 6% growth. BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry requirement.

Construction project managers and construction managers

Construction managers is the category BLS uses for project managers, senior project managers and project executives. The 2025 median is $114,990. The 25th percentile is $88,550, the 75th is $151,640, and the 90th is $189,440. BLS projects 9% growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 49,700 openings a year.

Responsibilities include controlling cost and schedule, coordinating the design team and subcontractors, handling permits and compliance, preparing and revising contracts, and managing safety and emergencies from preconstruction through closeout. A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement, and most people have several years in field or assistant PM roles first. The personal traits that matter are covered in 5 traits of effective construction project managers.

Construction superintendents and field supervisors

BLS's first-line supervisors of construction trades category has a median of $79,920 and a 90th percentile of $128,260. It covers foremen and general foremen as well as superintendents, so a superintendent on a large commercial or heavy civil project may be well above the median. The role runs the site day to day: scheduling crews, logging hours and quantities, quality control, material tracking, and enforcing safety. Most superintendents have many years in the trades or in field supervision. Some employers prefer a construction or engineering degree, and others weigh proven experience more heavily.

Project engineers

There is no BLS category for project engineers, so civil engineers are used as a proxy. The median is $100,840, the 90th percentile is $163,220, and growth is projected at 6%. Project engineers handle the technical side of a job: submittals, RFIs, drawing review, quantity takeoffs, and coordination between the field and the design team. A bachelor's degree in engineering or construction is typical, and a professional engineer license may be required depending on the employer. It is also the usual stepping stone to project manager.

Estimators

Cost estimators have a median of $78,740 and a 90th percentile of $130,820. BLS projects a 3% decline in employment from 2025 to 2035, so this is the one role in the table not expected to grow. Senior estimators and preconstruction leaders, who also manage bids and client relationships, likely sit higher. Estimators read plans, price labor and materials, assess site conditions and build bids. A degree in construction management or engineering is the usual route.

Project coordinators

BLS does not publish a separate figure for project coordinators. The role is an entry route to assistant project manager. The job is schedules, document control, invoices, contracts and reports. Posted ranges in your market are the best guide.

Reading the numbers

• Pay climbs with scope. The gap between construction managers' 25th percentile ($88,550) and 90th percentile ($189,440) is about $100,000. The difference comes mostly from project size, firm size and region.
• The title may not match the category. A "senior project executive" and a "project manager" can sit in the same BLS group yet earn very differently.
• Total compensation can be higher. Senior construction roles often include bonuses tied to project or company results. These can add a lot to base pay and may not be fully captured in the wage figures above.
• Location matters. BLS publishes state and metro wages for each occupation, which are worth checking before you negotiate.

Comparing an offer to these numbers

National medians are a starting point. Before you negotiate or accept, work through these:

• Size of the firm and the work. A project manager running $5 million jobs and one running $200 million jobs hold the same BLS title and earn very differently.
• Base versus total. Ask what share of the package is bonus, and how the bonus is calculated: company profit, project profit, or discretion.
• Benefits that cost real money. Vehicle, phone, housing for out-of-town work, per diem, relocation, retirement match and any profit sharing.
• Region. Compare to BLS state and metro figures for the same occupation, not the national median.
• Path. A slightly lower base at a firm that promotes from within can be worth more over five years. Our post on finding room to advance covers the questions to ask.

If you are weighing these roles as a career, our post on common myths about construction careers addresses the pay question for the field trades too.

How to move up

Most of these roles are reached by stacking experience: field or engineering, then project management, then operations or executive leadership. Each step usually means taking on a bigger project or a larger team.

To see the roles we recruit for, go to /positions; for how we work with candidates, see /career-seekers.