Construction managers
SOC Code: 11-9021
Construction managers carries a 29% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $106,980 and +8.7% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 550,300 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 29% AI exposure, Construction managers sits 8 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 26% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
86/100
Construction managers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A+ $106,980
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A+ +8.7%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B 29% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Construction managers in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's bar with above-average BLS growth
Construction managers sits in the Bachelor's entry band (178 of 832 occupations) and the Fast growth pace bucket (67 of 832). That pairing is rarer than the HS / some-college + declining cluster that dominates the BLS map - treat the degree bar as the binding gate while the growth line stays supportive.
Where Construction managers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Construction managers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
29% Lower than most lower than 74% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Construction managers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Construction managers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Construction managers's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 11-9021) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Construction managers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Construction managers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Inspect or review projects to monitor compliance with building and safety codes or other regulations.
- 2. Develop or implement quality control programs.
- 3. Plan, schedule, or coordinate construction project activities to meet deadlines.
- 4. Prepare and submit budget estimates, progress reports, or cost tracking reports.
- 5. Direct and supervise construction or related workers.
- 6. Determine labor requirements for dispatching workers to construction sites.
- 7. Confer with supervisory personnel, owners, contractors, or design professionals to discuss and resolve matters, such as work procedures, complaints, or construction problems.
- 8. Prepare contracts or negotiate revisions to contractual agreements with architects, consultants, clients, suppliers, or subcontractors.
- 9. Study job specifications to determine appropriate construction methods.
- 10. Plan, organize, or direct activities concerned with the construction or maintenance of structures, facilities, or systems.
Key Skills Required
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Complex Problem Solving
- Time Management
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Knowledge Areas
- Building and Construction
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
- Economics and Accounting
- Public Safety and Security
- Personnel and Human Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Construction managers?
Construction managers has an AI exposure score of 29%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Construction managers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Construction managers is projected to grow by 8.7% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 550,300 workers.
What skills are needed for Construction managers?
Key skills for Construction managers include Judgment and Decision Making, Management of Personnel Resources, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Construction managers earn?
The median annual wage for Construction managers is $106,980, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Construction managers?
The typical entry-level education for Construction managers is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Construction managers?
Construction managers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Construction managers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (29% here).
- Biochemists and biophysicists · AI exposure 29%
- Crane and tower operators · AI exposure 29%
- Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay · AI exposure 29%
- Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators · AI exposure 29%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+8.7% here).
- Agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes · growth +8.7%
- Computer systems analysts · growth +8.7%
- Database architects · growth +8.7%
- Medical scientists, except epidemiologists · growth +8.7%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 21 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Construction managers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Construction managers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).