/ How to Become a Construction Manager - Career Salaries, Job Stats & Education
Looking for a Career in Building and Construction?
If you’re thinking of becoming a Construction Manager or a Builder where you will plan, organise, direct, control and coordinate the construction of civil engineering projects, buildings and dwellings, and the physical and human resources involved in Building and Construction, here is everything you wanted to know.
Careers in Building and Construction are a great place to develop your technical, negotiation and time management skills, work on a variety of exciting projects and even build your own business. With the right study and training behind you, you can be a success in any one the many available Construction careers and Site Manager jobs available today.
The graph shows historical and projected (to 2024) employment levels (thousands) for this occupation.
Source: *Job Outlook Government website. ABS Labour Force Survey, Department of Jobs and Small Business trend data to May 2018 and Department of Jobs and Small Business projections to 2024.
Between 2018 and 2024, the total number of workers might decrease from 103,400 to 94,600. This trend could be changing based on the evolving patterns of the pandemic.
Thinking of becoming a construction manager? It doesn’t matter where you’re located in Australia – jobs are available in most regions throughout the country.
Source: *Job Outlook Government website. Based on ABS survey of employee earnings and hours, May 2018, Customised Report. Median earnings are before tax and do not include superannuation. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
The above figures indicate the average salary earned by construction professionals compared to the median wage averaged by all other job roles in Australia. Note: These figures are indicative and cannot be used to determine a particular wage rate when becoming a construction manager.
Jobs in Construction and Site Manager roles enjoy earnings of around $3450 per week when working fulltime hours. This is significantly higher than the ‘all jobs average’ figure of $1460.
Payscale.com lists the wage for Construction Managers (in Sydney, mid-career) as being between a median of $103,410 per annum and $148,000 at the highest end of the market.
Please note: For roles in Building and Construction, rates of pay will vary depending on the type of business and the type of environment.
According to the Government’s Job Outlook career outlook, jobs in building and construction are more commonly full time as opposed to part time – with 89% of workers in full time roles as opposed to the all jobs average of 66%. Part-time work is likely harder to find in this sector.
This data shows the share of employment in percentage by age profile, when compared against all other occupations. Careers in Building and Construction are most highly represented in the 35-44 age bracket, with around 27.1% of workers in this age group. However, there are 25.6% of workers in the 45-54, making it another statistically significant age range for workers.
Source: *Job Outlook Government website. ABS Census 2016). Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Skill level requirements can change over time, the qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Available data for Construction Manager jobs shows that the highest educational attainment achieved by most people working in this profession is a Certificate III/IV, with 45.4% of total workers holding this as their highest level. Just 19.6% of Construction careers held a Bachelor’s Degree – showcasing the lessening importance of university level education in this field.
According to the ABS: "The trend estimate of the value of total building work rose 3.0% to $30.4b. New private sector house commencements rose 5.9% to 35,869 dwellings. New private sector other residential commencements fell 11.3% to 14,667 dwellings."
"The seasonally adjusted estimate of the total number of dwelling units commenced rose 0.2% in March 2021."
Tap into this booming industry and become a licensed builder, site supervisor or construction manager. In this course, you will learn how to plan, coordinate, execute and work on residential and low-level commercial buildings. This nationally recognised Certificate IV will provide you with fundamental knowledge and skills to begin your career in Building and Construction.
Integrate your knowledge of Building and Construction with project management - combining the project management training with the skills to plan, coordinate, execute and finalise the construction of medium rise buildings.This Diploma will equip you for work as a site manager, licensed or registered builder or project manager. Perfect for busy people, this Diploma is delivered online so there are no classes to attend, meaning you study where you want to at a time that is convenient to you.
Developed specifically to meet licensing education requirements in Western Australia, Open Colleges’ Diploma of Building and Construction will help you to get off-the-tools and take the next step in your career.
Our Building and Construction courses are delivered online, giving you the flexibility of organising your study around your life. You can enrol any time of the year and study at your own pace.
Among other things, you'll learn how to manage projects and budgets, get introduced to the construction industry and learn how to use construction tools and materials.
Your course includes comprehensive student support to help you throughout your study. Some of the diplomas and certificates allow you to graduate with a government-accredited, nationally recognised qualification that can boost your chances of employment.
While I was in Year 10 at school, a construction careers course came up, allowing students to choose carpentry, plumbing, electrical and all these other building and construction trades.
I saw this opportunity and jumped straight into my apprenticeship - and working on odd site manager jobs by the time I was 20.
I’m based in Adelaide and I’ve had a job opportunity pop up in Sydney - so the demand is definitely there.
My sister in Sydney she said that they’re screaming out for people in building and construction as well as tradies! That was another reason I wanted to get into a trade, knowing there’s a shortage of jobs in construction and trying to help the industry.
I think there are a lot of factors that you need to consider before you even want to start your own company. Working in building and construction is quite hard, so you need experience to know how to combat every single task. The more types of site manager jobs and other jobs in construction you can do, the more money you’re going make! Setting up good accounting and admin structures and hiring good people is also a must for all careers in construction.
Yes, I did my construction apprenticeship, specialising in plumbing, and worked consistently for the four years of my apprenticeship, plus one year after that. After leaving that job, I worked for a big maintenance company. I was there for two years, moving on to another company that did probably 20% construction, 80% maintenance.
Working for someone else’s company doing various jobs in construction, I found consistent work coming in. For the first five years, careers in building and construction boomed, then it slowed down for about a year, but the maintenance side of things was always consistent.
Be an honest person. If you make a mistake or if you’ve done something wrong, own your work.The second one for success in any of the careers in construction would probably be respectful. Making sure you are respecting other people’s trades and tools. Communication is another key interpersonal skill. If you communicate with everyone and you let people know where you are, that’s important for excelling in all building and construction jobs you’re passionate about.
Thanks Michael, for sharing your story with Open Colleges.
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