Skilled Wages

Construction manager salary in North Carolina

Median $51.27 an hour for 16,310 construction managers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$51.27/hrMedian hourly wageNorth Carolina, May data
$106,640/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$33.16 – $84.9510th to 90th percentilehourly range
16,310Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-06

Construction manager pay in North Carolina: the full range

Wage percentiles, North CarolinaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$20$40$60$80$100/hrNorth Carolina: 10th $33.16 · 25th $40.38 · median $51.27 · 75th $66.11 · 90th $84.95North Carolina$51.27$33.16$84.95United States: 10th $33.50 · 25th $42.57 · median $55.28 · 75th $72.91 · 90th $91.08United States$55.28
Hourly wage percentiles for construction managers: North Carolina vs United States, May 2025.

North Carolina ranks 31st of 51 states for median construction manager pay, and 33rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $54.37). 16,310 construction managers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.6× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$33.16 – $40.38$68,960 – $83,990roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$40.38 – $66.11$83,990 – $137,510the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$66.11 – $84.95$137,510 – $176,690the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction manager pay by metro in North Carolina

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrDurham: $57.68Durham$57.68Raleigh: $57.55Raleigh$57.55Rocky Mount: $53.39Rocky Mount$53.39Pinehurst: $52.52Pinehurst$52.52Charlotte: $51.54Charlotte$51.54Greenville: $51.26Greenville$51.26Fayetteville: $50.79Fayetteville$50.79Greensboro: $50.70Greensboro$50.70Virginia Beach: $50.60Virginia Beach$50.60Asheville: $50.50Asheville$50.50Burlington: $50.23Burlington$50.23Hickory: $50.23Hickory$50.23
Median hourly wage for construction managers by metro area in North Carolina, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Durham$37.28$57.68$59.10$96.5776013% above
Raleigh$37.51$57.55$58.60$87.983,02012% above
Rocky Mount$37.02$53.39$60.67$81.361904% above
Pinehurst$34.55$52.52$59.48$85.911002% above
Charlotte$33.16$51.54$52.97$84.245,4501% above
Greenville$30.63$51.26$57.99$86.95180about the same as
Fayetteville$31.92$50.79$55.21$78.563201% below
Greensboro$32.64$50.70$54.57$83.761,0001% below
Virginia Beach$37.14$50.60$51.69$77.811,4001% below
Asheville$32.37$50.50$52.33$80.844702% below
Burlington$34.49$50.23$53.89$77.801802% below
Hickory$33.30$50.23$56.76$80.882702% below
Wilmington$31.86$49.91$51.77$82.648303% below
Winston-Salem$31.41$49.88$54.22$87.147103% below
Goldsboro$34.86$47.72$53.92$79.491207% below
Jacksonville$30.98$47.56$51.64$75.361807% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Construction manager wages in North Carolina over time

North Carolina, 1999-2025North CarolinaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$20$40$60200020052010201520202025$55.28United States$51.27North Carolina
Median hourly wage for construction managers, North Carolina vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNorth Carolina $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$21.70$41.93$26.7511,190
2000$24.07$45.00$28.008,470
2001$25.24$45.88$29.357,690
2002$26.68$47.75$30.537,200
2003$26.68$46.68$31.967,340
2004$28.39$48.39$33.597,970
2005$30.92$50.97$34.748,430
2006$32.92$52.57$35.438,480
2007$34.57$53.68$36.659,550
2008$37.29$55.76$38.399,090
2009$38.41$57.64$39.588,110
2010$39.79$58.75$40.326,660
2011$40.73$58.29$40.506,320
2012$40.49$56.78$39.805,970
2013$40.82$56.41$40.586,280
2014$41.74$56.76$41.176,830
2015$42.18$57.29$42.027,970
2016$42.10$56.47$42.939,060
2017$45.78$60.13$43.939,860
2018$46.77$59.96$44.8911,220
2019$48.92$61.60$45.8013,500
2020$49.23$61.24$46.7214,750
2021$47.35$56.26$47.5516,570
2022$47.39$52.13$48.7920,660
2023$48.75$51.51$50.4321,520
2024$50.36$51.69$51.4317,100
2025$51.27$51.27$55.2816,310

In today's dollars, the median construction manager wage in North Carolina changed by -10.5% over the last ten years of data and by -16.8% since 2019.

Are there more construction manager jobs in North Carolina?

+20.8%Jobs since 201913,500 then, 16,310 in 2025
+104.6%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
3.3Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.4× the US share, 10th of 49 states

Since 1999, the number of construction managers counted in North Carolina has changed by +45.8%, against +58.2% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +20.8%.

Construction managers in North Carolina vs United States, 1999 = 100North CarolinaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages050100150200250200020052010201520202025158United States146North Carolina
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, North Carolina vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearNorth Carolina jobsNorth Carolina indexUS index
199911,190100100
20008,4707695
20017,6906989
20027,2006487
20037,3406682
20047,9707177
20058,4307580
20068,4807686
20079,5508590
20089,0908192
20098,1107285
20106,6606080
20116,3205681
20125,9705386
20136,2805689
20146,8306195
20157,97071100
20169,06081104
20179,86088110
201811,220100116
201913,500121122
202014,750132119
202116,570148118
202220,660185126
202321,520192137
202417,100153145
202516,310146158

Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.

Outlook for construction managers in North Carolina

+9.5%Projected growth in North Carolina2024–2034, state agency
2,300Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
26,730Jobs in 202429,280 projected for 2034
+9.1%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

North Carolina's labor market agency projects the number of construction managers in the state to change by +9.5% between 2024 and 2034, from 26,730 to 29,280, with about 2,300 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +9.1% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 16,310 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: North Carolina labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Is construction work growing in North Carolina?

296.4kConstruction jobsNorth Carolina, 2026-09
+6.0%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025296kSep 2026
Construction employment in North Carolina (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at construction establishments by county (all employees, not just construction managers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages. Across the 91 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 116,615 in 2015 to 167,614 in 2025, +43.7%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Mecklenburg County3,76642,540$91,524$1,760
Wake County4,01145,166$89,732$1,726
Northampton County28186$85,420$1,643
Guilford County1,40613,865$80,008$1,539
Beaufort County1261,316$75,080$1,444
Randolph County4223,237$74,750$1,438
Wayne County2312,517$74,707$1,437
New Hanover County1,0979,488$73,637$1,416
Cumberland County5535,748$73,627$1,416
Clay County52208$73,496$1,413
Rowan County4583,211$72,526$1,395
Nash County2352,593$72,352$1,391

Keep comparing

Construction manager pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in North Carolina

More on North Carolina

Questions this page answers

How much do construction managers make in North Carolina?

The median construction manager in North Carolina earned $51.27 an hour ($106,640 a year) in May 2025, 7% below the national median of $55.28. The middle half earn $40.38–$66.11; the top 10% earn more than $84.95.

Where does North Carolina rank for construction manager pay?

North Carolina ranks 31st of 51 states for construction manager pay, with a median of $51.27 an hour, and 33rd after adjusting for North Carolina's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.3, US = 100).

What is the union construction manager rate in North Carolina?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a construction manager classification for most North Carolina counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many construction managers work in North Carolina?

BLS counted 16,310 construction managers in North Carolina in May 2025, 3.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.35; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is construction manager work growing in North Carolina?

The BLS employer survey count of construction managers in North Carolina went from 7,970 in 2015 to 16,310 in 2025, +104.6%, and +20.8% since 2019. North Carolina's labor market agency projects +9.5% growth for construction managers between 2024 and 2034, from 26,730 to 29,280 jobs.

How many construction manager openings a year are there in North Carolina?

North Carolina projects about 2,300 openings a year for construction managers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 49,700 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, North Carolina and metro areas, SOC 11-9021. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: North Carolina labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.