--- title: "Construction Pay Index, October 2026: Estimators Up 19% and Now Out-Earn Superintendents" description: "Amundson Group's October 2026 Construction Placement Pay Index: median base salaries at the moment of hire for 11 construction roles, from the firm's own placem" url: https://amundsongroup.com/construction-pay-index-october-2026/ published: 2026-10-16 modified: 2026-11-02 publisher: Amundson Group markdown_of: https://amundsongroup.com/construction-pay-index-october-2026/ --- # Construction Pay Index, October 2026: Estimators Up 19% and Now Out-Earn Superintendents October 16, 2026 [Market Trends](https://amundsongroup.com/market-trends/) **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](https://amundsongroup.com/hire-talent/) or call [(832) 558-7982](tel:+18325587982). ## Findings - Highest median base at placement: Estimator, $118,750. - 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 | 25th pct | Median base | 75th pct | Prior 12 months | Change | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Estimator | $85,750 | **$118,750** | $131,250 | $100,000 | up 19% | | Project Manager | $100,075 | **$112,500** | $145,000 | $122,270 | down 8% | | Superintendent | $104,750 | **$112,200** | $126,250 | $105,000 | up 7% | | Safety Manager | $95,000 | **$100,000** | $116,500 | not enough prior data | | | Survey Party Chief | $75,675 | **$93,750** | $110,580 | not enough prior data | | | Pipe Crew Lead | $87,150 | **$93,600** | $96,200 | $92,300 | up 1% | | Project Engineer | $77,500 | **$93,340** | $99,050 | $85,000 | up 10% | | Survey CAD Technician | $85,000 | **$90,000** | $110,000 | not enough prior data | | | Surveyor | $75,000 | **$89,992** | $110,000 | not enough prior data | | | Assistant Project Manager | $80,000 | **$89,960** | $100,000 | $95,290 | down 6% | | Foreman | $81,900 | **$87,200** | $93,950 | $88,200 | down 1% | A role appears only with enough placements in the window. The prior-year figure appears only when that window also had enough 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 enough 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: median $81,900 over twelve months. - Foreman in Georgia: median $93,300 over twelve months. - Foreman in North Carolina: median $89,700 over twelve months. - Superintendent in North Carolina: median $110,000 over twelve months. - Survey CAD Technician in Colorado: median $90,000 over twelve months. - Estimator in Florida: median $122,500 over twelve months. - Estimator in North Carolina: median $90,000 over twelve months. - Pipe Crew Lead in Florida: median $93,600 over twelve months. - Foreman in Florida: median $83,200 over 24 months. - Superintendent in Florida: median $105,000 over 24 months. - Foreman in North Carolina: median $89,200 over 24 months. - Superintendent in North Carolina: median $109,200 over 24 months. - Foreman in Georgia: median $93,000 over 24 months. - Project Manager in Florida: median $117,500 over 24 months. - Project Manager in Texas: median $130,000 over 24 months. - Foreman in Tampa Bay: median $83,200 over 24 months. - Pipe Crew Lead in Florida: median $93,600 over 24 months. - Foreman in Atlanta: median $93,000 over 24 months. - Superintendent in Tampa Bay: median $91,000 over 24 months. - Estimator in Florida: median $95,000 over 24 months. - Foreman in Charlotte: median $93,600 over 24 months. - Superintendent in Atlanta: median $114,220 over 24 months. - Superintendent in Georgia: median $114,220 over 24 months. - Pipe Crew Lead in Tampa Bay: median $91,000 over 24 months. - Project Manager in Georgia: median $125,000 over 24 months. - Project Manager in North Carolina: median $107,500 over 24 months. - Estimator in Tampa Bay: median $87,500 over 24 months. - Project Engineer in Florida: median $85,000 over 24 months. - Estimator in North Carolina: median $95,000 over 24 months. - Estimator in Texas: median $120,000 over 24 months. - Foreman in Raleigh-Durham: median $90,000 over 24 months. - Project Manager in Atlanta: median $115,000 over 24 months. - Project Manager in Tampa Bay: median $125,000 over 24 months. - Superintendent in South Florida: median $120,000 over 24 months. - Survey CAD Technician in Denver: median $90,000 over 24 months. - Survey CAD Technician in Colorado: median $90,000 over 24 months. - Foreman in South Carolina: median $83,200 over 24 months. ## 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](https://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](https://amundsongroup.com/contact/). **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](tel:+18325587982) or use the full form at [amundsongroup.com/hire-talent](https://amundsongroup.com/hire-talent/). Looking for your next role? [See open construction jobs](https://amundsongroup.com/jobs/). Written by Alex Mowbray Founder and Executive Chairman of Amundson Group [View full bio](https://amundsongroup.com/employees/alex-mowbray/) --- About Amundson Group: a Houston-headquartered construction recruiting firm placing superintendents, project managers, estimators, foremen and skilled trades with contractors across the United States in heavy civil, site development, paving, data center, rail, tunnels, wastewater and underground utilities. 1,200+ construction placements to date, a network of 90,000+ construction professionals, 250+ companies served, the first qualified resume in about 7 hours and a shortlist in 7 days. Veteran owned, founded in January 2020 by Alex Mowbray, Inc. 5000 honoree in 2024 and 2025, SIA Best Staffing Firms to Work For 2023 and 2024, rated 4.9 on Google. 1336 Brittmoore Rd, Houston, TX 77043. (832) 558-7982. https://amundsongroup.com This page in HTML: https://amundsongroup.com/construction-pay-index-october-2026/. Every page on amundsongroup.com has a Markdown copy at the same URL with .md added. Site index for AI agents: https://amundsongroup.com/llms.txt