--- title: "Construction Salaries 2026: Placement-Calibrated Pay Bands" description: "Actual salary bands for supers, PMs, estimators by metro. Built on real placement data, updated quarterly. See what construction pros actually earn." url: https://amundsongroup.com/construction-salaries-2026/ published: 2026-07-08 modified: 2026-10-25 publisher: Amundson Group markdown_of: https://amundsongroup.com/construction-salaries-2026/ --- # Construction Salaries 2026: Placement-Calibrated Pay Bands *Placement-calibrated 2026 base salary bands from Amundson Group’s own recruiting data, updated quarterly. Quote freely with attribution. For role-by-role local detail see the city pages linked below or [download the full 39-page Salary Guide](https://amundsongroup.com/salary-guide/).* **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). ## Construction salaries in 2026: the short version Construction pay keeps outrunning the broader economy: construction average hourly earnings rose 4.4 percent year over year through May 2026 against 3.5 percent for all private industry (BLS). At the salaried leadership level the pressure is sharpest exactly where hiring is hardest: superintendents, estimators, and project managers, the three roles most contractors report as their toughest fills (AGC/NCCER 2025 Workforce Survey). The bands below are what companies actually pay to land these people, calibrated against Amundson Group placements rather than self-reported survey data. ## 2026 base salary bands by role (national) | Role | Typical base range (2026) | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | **VP of Operations** | $200,000 to $300,000 | Retained search territory; total comp adds bonus and sometimes equity | | **Director of Preconstruction** | $170,000 to $230,000 | Scarcest office profile; see [preconstruction executive search](https://amundsongroup.com/preconstruction-executive-search/) | | **Estimating Manager** | $150,000 to $200,000 | Chief estimators at larger civil contractors sit at the top of band | | **Project Manager** | $130,000 to $180,000 | Data center and heavy civil PMs press the top of band | | **Superintendent** | $130,000 to $180,000 | Travelers add per-diem; hardest-to-fill role in the AGC survey (81%) | | **Estimator** | $120,000 to $170,000 | Sector-specific bid history drives the premium | | **Assistant Project Manager** | $100,000 to $140,000 | The feeder seat for PM benches | | **Project Engineer** | $90,000 to $130,000 | Fastest-moving early-career band | Bands are base salary only. Bonuses, truck allowances, and per-diem typically add 10 to 30 percent of base depending on role and company policy. ## How pay varies by metro High-cost coastal metros price 15 to 25 percent above these bands; most Sun Belt and Southeast metros track close to them, which is part of why construction talent keeps migrating there. Role-by-role local pages with 2026 figures: [superintendent pay in Houston](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-superintendent-salary-houston/), [PM pay in Atlanta](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-project-manager-salary-atlanta/), [estimator pay in Dallas](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-estimator-salary-dallas/), and dozens more metro pages across Texas, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Florida, Arizona, and beyond. ## What is driving 2026 construction pay - **The labor gap:** the industry needs an estimated 349,000 net new workers in 2026 (Associated Builders and Contractors, January 2026). - **Data center demand:** $58.1 billion in data center construction starts year to date by May 2026, four times the 2025 record pace (ConstructConnect), all drawing on the same field-leadership pool. - **Leadership scarcity:** 81 percent of firms hiring superintendents report difficulty filling them; estimators 77 percent, project managers 76 percent (AGC/NCCER 2025). Full market context with sources in the [Q2 2026 Construction Labor Market Report](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-labor-market-report-q2-2026/). ## Methodology Bands are calibrated against Amundson Group’s own permanent placements (across the last year) and adjusted quarterly; they reflect what offers actually close at, not job-posting ranges or self-reported surveys. Market statistics carry their sources inline. Media and researchers may cite this page with attribution to Amundson Group. ## FAQ ### Are these bands base salary or total compensation? Base only. Bonus, truck or vehicle allowance, and per-diem typically add 10 to 30 percent depending on role, sector, and company policy. ### Why do these differ from Indeed or ZipRecruiter averages? Job-board averages blend postings across every experience level and company size, and postings are asking prices. These bands reflect closed offers for hires with proven, role-specific track records, which is the market that actually clears. ### How often are the bands updated? Quarterly, alongside the Salary Guide and the Labor Market Report. ### What should I offer for my specific role and metro? [Ask Amundson Group](https://amundsongroup.com/hire-talent/) for a realistic band for your exact role, sector, and metro, quoted from live placement data. *Go deeper: [Heavy civil construction recruiters](https://amundsongroup.com/best-heavy-civil-construction-recruiters-2026/) · [Construction recruiters in Houston](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-recruiters-houston/) · [Construction recruiters in Dallas](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-recruiters-dallas/) · [VP of Operations recruiting](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-vp-operations-recruiter/) · [Construction executive search](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-executive-search-2026/) · [The Complete 2026 Construction Recruiting Guide](https://amundsongroup.com/construction-recruiting-guide/)* **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/). --- 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-salaries-2026/. Every page on amundsongroup.com has a Markdown copy at the same URL with .md added. 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