At the helm of these projects are construction managers who, when handling large or complex projects, have a number of assistants and technical supervisors who do close coordination work with him in all aspects and segments of the project. Their group is often called the management team and they regularly meet and collaborate on the different processes and detailed plans which need to be met according to the requirements set before the actual start of the construction job.
Managers in construction are responsible in the precise allocation and use of the project budget as provided by the project owner. While this budget covers everything from start to finish of the construction project, to include material and personnel allocation, close construction supervision is an important task in this aspect of the project as the budget must work within the given timeline and desired general construction output as well. Every segment, aspect and detail of a construction work budget-wise is generally under the close scrutiny of construction managers.
Construction engineers, construction inspectors, assistant managers, and construction managers also meet with suppliers, contractors and subcontractors, designers, and owners on a regular basis for the duration of the project for updating to ensure all the demands required of the project are met and successfully applied from the design, function, stability, and local construction rules and policies. In a much larger and complex project, construction management is more stringent and closely coordinated among the members as led by the manager whose role again here is more crucial as the assignment of responsibilities and specific tasks and structure to higher-positioned individuals are more defined. Construction supervisors also extend their work to handling external matters such as materials and supplies and collaboration in planning with the local officials and departments for safety and risk management on the project site.
Managers in construction have bachelor's degrees, training certifications, and master's degree. In most states, a technical license or certification is required before one is able to achieve this construction position. Equally important, construction supervisors must have earned significant number of years of experience in the construction work. Not surprisingly, almost all who holds this rank started out in the lower rungs of construction work while gradually working their way up to the construction management position after several years.
Most have technical bachelor's degrees like civil engineering or construction science, so exposure and desire to work in construction projects seemed a natural thing for them. Construction science involves project control and development, building design, construction materials, site planning, value analysis, cost estimating, construction methods, scheduling, contract administration, inspection procedures, building codes and standards and electives in architectural sciences, mathematics, statistics, engineering and computer science. Since construction supervision involves a lot of people coordination and technical knowledge from most segments of a project, these managers certainly earned their positions. Those who earned master's degrees in construction science commonly end up working in large corporations while those who earned doctoral degrees eventually end up as college professors. Interestingly, some construction managers started out as laborers, electricians, masons, carpenters, or plumbers before earning their degrees and used to the fast-paced work and demands around construction projects.
According to the May 2009 research by the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the mean annual wage for managers in construction was at $93,290. Non-residential building construction topped the list for industry employment at 50,560 with an annual mean wage of $92,260. The top paying industry last year was the scientific, technical, and other professional services with an annual mean wage of at $142,550. Texas had the highest concentration with this position with 28,010 for most states. On the other hand, the national employment estimate was at 204,760 for the same year.
The prospects for construction management works remain high as construction projects both by private companies and government agencies continue. These projects are either full construction or maintenance repairs of commercial and office buildings, roads, bridges, tunnels, schools, and more.
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