Houston, Texas, October 16, 2026. Amundson Group’s Construction Placement Pay Index for October 2026 reports the base salaries construction professionals were actually hired at over the twelve months to October 2026. Every figure comes from the firm’s own placement records: heavy civil, site development, paving, data center, rail, tunnel, wastewater and underground utility work across the United States. Placements, not survey answers. Medians, not averages. Base only, before truck, per diem and bonus.
Hiring for heavy civil, site development, paving, data center, rail, or wastewater work? Amundson Group is a construction-only recruiter. First qualified resumes in 7 hours. Send us the role or call (832) 558-7982.
Findings
- Highest median base at placement: Estimator, $118,750 across 32 placements.
- Biggest move: Estimator up 19% in twelve months, $100,000 to $118,750.
- Estimators now earn more than superintendents at placement: $118,750 against $112,200.
- Pipe Crew Lead pay is flat year on year at $93,600.
Median base salary at placement, twelve months to October 2026
| Role | Placements | 25th pct | Median base | 75th pct | Prior 12 months (n) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimator | 32 | $85,750 | $118,750 | $131,250 | $100,000 (17) | up 19% |
| Project Manager | 32 | $100,075 | $112,500 | $145,000 | $122,270 (45) | down 8% |
| Superintendent | 36 | $104,750 | $112,200 | $126,250 | $105,000 (69) | up 7% |
| Safety Manager | 15 | $95,000 | $100,000 | $116,500 | not enough prior data | |
| Survey Party Chief | 12 | $75,675 | $93,750 | $110,580 | not enough prior data | |
| Pipe Crew Lead | 10 | $87,150 | $93,600 | $96,200 | $92,300 (10) | up 1% |
| Project Engineer | 18 | $77,500 | $93,340 | $99,050 | $85,000 (13) | up 10% |
| Survey CAD Technician | 9 | $85,000 | $90,000 | $110,000 | not enough prior data | |
| Surveyor | 9 | $75,000 | $89,992 | $110,000 | not enough prior data | |
| Assistant Project Manager | 9 | $80,000 | $89,960 | $100,000 | $95,290 (10) | down 6% |
| Foreman | 48 | $81,900 | $87,200 | $93,950 | $88,200 (64) | down 1% |
A role appears only with 9 or more placements in the window. The prior-year figure appears only when that window also had 9 or more placements.
Since the September 2026 release
- Project Engineer: $90,000 in September 2026 to $93,340, up 4%.
- Safety Manager: $97,500 in September 2026 to $100,000, up 3%.
- Project Manager: $110,000 in September 2026 to $112,500, up 2%.
- Superintendent: $110,000 in September 2026 to $112,200, up 2%.
State and metro cuts
A cut needs 8 or more placements in the same role. Each line says which window it uses: twelve months, or 24 months so that smaller markets can be read. The two windows overlap and are not comparable to each other.
- Foreman in Florida: 15 placements over twelve months, median $81,900.
- Foreman in Georgia: 12 placements over twelve months, median $93,300.
- Foreman in North Carolina: 10 placements over twelve months, median $89,700.
- Superintendent in North Carolina: 9 placements over twelve months, median $110,000.
- Survey CAD Technician in Colorado: 9 placements over twelve months, median $90,000.
- Estimator in Florida: 8 placements over twelve months, median $122,500.
- Estimator in North Carolina: 8 placements over twelve months, median $90,000.
- Pipe Crew Lead in Florida: 8 placements over twelve months, median $93,600.
- Foreman in Florida: 42 placements over 24 months, median $83,200.
- Superintendent in Florida: 39 placements over 24 months, median $105,000.
- Foreman in North Carolina: 32 placements over 24 months, median $89,200.
- Superintendent in North Carolina: 19 placements over 24 months, median $109,200.
- Foreman in Georgia: 18 placements over 24 months, median $93,000.
- Project Manager in Florida: 18 placements over 24 months, median $117,500.
- Project Manager in Texas: 18 placements over 24 months, median $130,000.
- Foreman in Tampa Bay: 17 placements over 24 months, median $83,200.
- Pipe Crew Lead in Florida: 17 placements over 24 months, median $93,600.
- Foreman in Atlanta: 16 placements over 24 months, median $93,000.
- Superintendent in Tampa Bay: 16 placements over 24 months, median $91,000.
- Estimator in Florida: 14 placements over 24 months, median $95,000.
- Foreman in Charlotte: 12 placements over 24 months, median $93,600.
- Superintendent in Atlanta: 12 placements over 24 months, median $114,220.
- Superintendent in Georgia: 12 placements over 24 months, median $114,220.
- Pipe Crew Lead in Tampa Bay: 11 placements over 24 months, median $91,000.
- Project Manager in Georgia: 11 placements over 24 months, median $125,000.
- Project Manager in North Carolina: 11 placements over 24 months, median $107,500.
- Estimator in Tampa Bay: 10 placements over 24 months, median $87,500.
- Project Engineer in Florida: 10 placements over 24 months, median $85,000.
- Estimator in North Carolina: 9 placements over 24 months, median $95,000.
- Estimator in Texas: 9 placements over 24 months, median $120,000.
- Foreman in Raleigh-Durham: 9 placements over 24 months, median $90,000.
- Project Manager in Atlanta: 9 placements over 24 months, median $115,000.
- Project Manager in Tampa Bay: 9 placements over 24 months, median $125,000.
- Superintendent in South Florida: 9 placements over 24 months, median $120,000.
- Survey CAD Technician in Denver: 9 placements over 24 months, median $90,000.
- Survey CAD Technician in Colorado: 9 placements over 24 months, median $90,000.
- Foreman in South Carolina: 8 placements over 24 months, median $83,200.
How the index is built
Every figure comes from a placement record in Amundson Group’s own database: the base salary agreed at the moment of hire. No client is named and no individual figure is shown. Roles are grouped by job title. The index refreshes automatically as new placements land, so the twelve month window moves with the calendar, and a dated release is published each month so a figure can be quoted as of a fixed date.
The live, always current version sits at amundsongroup.com/construction-pay-index. Quote it freely with a link.
About Amundson Group
Amundson Group is a veteran-owned, construction-only recruiting firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, founded in January 2020. It recruits superintendents, project managers, project engineers, estimators, schedulers and MEP and commissioning leaders for heavy civil, site development, paving, data center, rail, tunnel, wastewater and underground utility builders across the United States. 1,200+ construction placements to date, a 90,000+ professional network, 250+ construction companies served, first qualified resumes in 7 hours on average. Inc. 5000 honoree in 2024 and 2025 and an SIA Best Staffing Firms to Work For in 2023 and 2024.
Press and data questions: (832) 558-7982 or the contact page.
Need this hire made? Send us the role. Amundson Group is a construction-only recruiter based in Houston, placing across the United States: heavy civil, site development, paving, data centers, rail, tunnels, wastewater, and underground utilities. 1,200+ construction placements to date, a 90,000+ professional network, first qualified resumes in 7 hours. Inc. 5000 in 2024 and 2025.
Prefer to talk? Call (832) 558-7982 or use the full form at amundsongroup.com/hire-talent.
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