Career Paths in Construction Management

Construction is a top industry both in the United States and worldwide. In 2018 alone, the industry has experienced 4% growth (1.28 trillion dollars) according to Associated Builders and Construction Inc. and it is anticipated to continue growing.

Why should you study construction management? Besides nearly guaranteed job security, most construction management positions lead to a professional leadership position right out of college. Capitol’s program is unique in our additional focus on securing critical infrastructure. 

In Capitol’s innovative new program, you’ll learn about the industry, gain leadership skills through hands on experience, understanding the many project management skills and software tools needed, and understand the importance of not only building critical infrastructures but securing them in a digital world.

Graduates with a degree in construction management can expect entry level opportunities such as:

1. Assistant Superintendent – Assistant superintendents work outside directly on the building of the project. They are usually responsible for managing a team of field personnel and keeping everyone on track with large scale projects. The U.S. average salary for assistant superintendents is $77,000/year according to GlassDoor.

2. Field Engineer – Field engineers usually work in a field office. They focus on documentation while a project is being built. This job may involve programming and is a supportive role to most projects as a whole. The U.S. average salary for field engineers is $72,000/year according to GlassDoor.

3. Project Engineer – Project engineers are typically stationed in the home office and work on project documentation and submittals. They may provide engineering assistance for field or service problems, and occasionally survey sites for useful information. This position tends to be slightly more technical in nature than field engineer and may even involve design work. The U.S. average salary for this position is $83,000/year according to GlassDoor.

4. IT Assistant Director – IT assistant directors work usually in the home office supporting IT needs, but also support the field offices as necessary. This position would usually require programming skills and security knowledge. The U.S. average salary for IT assistant directors is $118,000/year according to GlassDoor.

5. Assistant Project Manager – Usually a position you would find at small to mid-size companies, assistant project manager job descriptions vary and required skills can range from team leadership to the more technical skills usually associated with field or project engineering. The U.S average salary for this position is $98,000/year according to GlassDoor.

The nature of these opportunities can vary widely depending on which sector you decide to enter. If you enter healthcare and public health as an assistant superintendent, for example, you may be supervising the construction of a hospital. Someone with that same position in the energy sector might be building power plants by contrast. An IT assistant director working for the nuclear reactors, materials, and waste sector might have to worry about security in a different, more heightened way than someone in that same position in another sector.

There are 16 sectors in total: chemical, commercial facilities, communications, critical manufacturing, dams, defense industrial bases, emergency services, energy, financial, food and agriculture, government facilities, healthcare and public health, information technology, nuclear reactors, materials, and waste, transportation systems, and water and wastewater systems.

Your career path in construction management and critical infrastructure can really be what you make it. The demand for professionals in this field is high, and with the knowledge of technology that you’ll have when you leave Capitol, you’ll be poised on the cutting edge of technical skill.

We also have unmanned systems programs at a variety of levels, which you can explore together with your construction management degree. To learn more about our programs, please visit our security, intelligence, and critical infrastructures page.