Skilled Wages

Construction supervisor salary in California

Median $46.96 an hour for 71,750 construction supervisors, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$46.96/hrMedian hourly wageCalifornia, May data
$97,680/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$29.18 – $75.2510th to 90th percentilehourly range
71,750Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Construction supervisor pay in California: the full range

Wage percentiles, CaliforniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$20$40$60$80/hrCalifornia: 10th $29.18 · 25th $36.89 · median $46.96 · 75th $61.87 · 90th $75.25California$46.96$29.18$75.25United States: 10th $25.62 · 25th $30.48 · median $38.42 · 75th $48.78 · 90th $61.66United States$38.42
Hourly wage percentiles for construction supervisors: California vs United States, May 2025.

California ranks 9th of 51 states for median construction supervisor pay, and 18th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $42.42). 71,750 construction supervisors 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$29.18 – $36.89$60,690 – $76,740roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$36.89 – $61.87$76,740 – $128,690the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$61.87 – $75.25$128,690 – $156,530the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction supervisor pay by metro in California

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60$80/hrSan Jose: $62.36San Jose$62.36San Francisco: $58.08San Francisco$58.08Santa Rosa: $49.81Santa Rosa$49.81Vallejo: $47.32Vallejo$47.32Los Angeles: $46.92Los Angeles$46.92Sacramento: $46.57Sacramento$46.57Hanford: $46.24Hanford$46.24Napa: $46.16Napa$46.16San Diego: $46.08San Diego$46.08San Luis Obispo: $45.46San Luis Obispo$45.46Bakersfield: $44.29Bakersfield$44.29Redding: $44.15Redding$44.15
Median hourly wage for construction supervisors by metro area in California, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
San Jose$36.92$62.36$56.49$94.264,77033% above
San Francisco$35.51$58.08$50.24$79.979,81024% above
Santa Rosa$32.93$49.81$46.21$73.361,2006% above
Vallejo$31.21$47.32$43.61$80.969301% above
Los Angeles$28.00$46.92$41.30$74.4919,690about the same as
Sacramento$30.03$46.57$43.65$72.256,3201% below
Hanford$25.53$46.24$45.51$83.631102% below
Napa$31.74$46.16$40.99$69.883402% below
San Diego$28.96$46.08$41.18$71.087,0002% below
San Luis Obispo$29.83$45.46$41.86$65.105703% below
Bakersfield$28.10$44.29$43.89$63.861,6106% below
Redding$28.64$44.15$43.84$64.403106% below
Salinas$29.47$43.85$40.23$61.505007% below
Modesto$28.85$43.82$42.09$66.167807% below
Oxnard$28.56$43.18$39.08$67.201,2608% below
Santa Maria$28.06$42.88$39.41$64.967809% below
Santa Cruz$28.45$41.91$38.13$74.8730011% below
El Centro$28.93$41.35$43.43$60.4117012% below
Yuba City$26.92$41.35$39.68$61.3920012% below
Fresno$29.27$40.22$39.35$65.801,82014% below
Riverside$26.21$39.77$37.38$63.418,42015% below
Stockton$27.82$39.66$37.74$63.151,14016% below
Chico$27.67$39.61$39.14$64.3229016% below
Visalia$26.60$38.20$38.28$58.2547019% below
Merced$26.51$38.10$38.76$59.2228019% below

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

Construction supervisor wages in California over time

California, 1999-2025CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$46.96California$38.42United States
Median hourly wage for construction supervisors, California vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearCalifornia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$25.36$49.01$20.7135,880
2000$26.00$48.61$21.5339,230
2001$27.72$50.39$22.3944,090
2002$28.09$50.27$22.9243,640
2003$28.45$49.78$23.4347,550
2004$29.64$50.52$24.2552,820
2005$30.10$49.62$24.9860,280
2006$30.89$49.33$25.8964,980
2007$32.36$50.25$26.9065,170
2008$33.85$50.62$27.9560,590
2009$34.84$52.28$28.0450,490
2010$35.04$51.73$28.2141,810
2011$35.31$50.54$28.4438,480
2012$35.31$49.51$28.7038,260
2013$35.47$49.02$29.0341,150
2014$35.82$48.71$29.3243,360
2015$35.76$48.57$29.8444,490
2016$36.30$48.69$30.2848,610
2017$37.03$48.64$30.8051,710
2018$37.71$48.35$31.3655,920
2019$38.16$48.05$31.8357,530
2020$39.32$48.91$32.6157,410
2021$38.80$46.10$34.6266,890
2022$41.71$45.88$35.6266,150
2023$44.26$46.76$36.9072,120
2024$46.67$47.90$37.8372,660
2025$46.96$46.96$38.4271,750

In today's dollars, the median construction supervisor wage in California changed by -3.3% over the last ten years of data and by -2.3% since 2019.

Are there more construction supervisor jobs in California?

+24.7%Jobs since 201957,530 then, 71,750 in 2025
+61.3%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
3.9Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.8× the US share, 45th of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of construction supervisors counted in California has changed by +100.0%, against +70.4% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +24.7%.

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in California vs United States, 1999 = 100CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages50100150200250200020052010201520202025200California170United States
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, California vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearCalifornia jobsCalifornia indexUS index
199935,880100100
200039,230109105
200144,090123108
200243,640122107
200347,550132108
200452,820147114
200560,280168116
200664,980181121
200765,170182121
200860,590169121
200950,490141112
201041,810116100
201138,48010796
201238,26010796
201341,15011598
201443,360121104
201544,490124109
201648,610136113
201751,710144117
201855,920156126
201957,530160131
202057,410160129
202166,890186140
202266,150184151
202372,120201163
202472,660202169
202571,750200170

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 supervisors in California

+8.0%Projected growth in California2024–2034, state agency
6,860Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
81,400Jobs in 202487,900 projected for 2034
+5.0%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

California's labor market agency projects the number of construction supervisors in the state to change by +8.0% between 2024 and 2034, from 81,400 to 87,900, with about 6,860 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +5.0% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 71,750 counted by the BLS employer survey.

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

Is construction work growing in California?

895.7kConstruction jobsCalifornia, 2026-09
-0.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k1,200k19901995200020052010201520202025896kSep 2026
Construction employment in California (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 supervisors), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages. Across the 54 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 473,902 in 2015 to 577,497 in 2025, +21.9%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
San Francisco County1,90221,750$128,455$2,470
Santa Clara County4,36450,668$122,701$2,360
Tehama County1371,067$118,014$2,269
Alameda County3,40944,885$110,642$2,128
San Mateo County2,07416,098$108,677$2,090
Solano County93911,051$105,185$2,023
Yolo County4534,901$104,584$2,011
Contra Costa County2,88925,930$103,829$1,997
Napa County5204,086$100,027$1,924
Orange County8,628103,392$99,697$1,917
Marin County1,0867,358$95,794$1,842
Placer County1,72018,848$91,175$1,753

Keep comparing

Construction supervisor pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in California

More on California

Questions this page answers

How much do construction supervisors make in California?

The median construction supervisor in California earned $46.96 an hour ($97,680 a year) in May 2025, 22% above the national median of $38.42. The middle half earn $36.89–$61.87; the top 10% earn more than $75.25.

Where does California rank for construction supervisor pay?

California ranks 9th of 51 states for construction supervisor pay, with a median of $46.96 an hour, and 18th after adjusting for California's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.7, US = 100).

What is the union construction supervisor rate in California?

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

How many construction supervisors work in California?

BLS counted 71,750 construction supervisors in California in May 2025, 3.9 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.75; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is construction supervisor work growing in California?

The BLS employer survey count of construction supervisors in California went from 44,490 in 2015 to 71,750 in 2025, +61.3%, and +24.7% since 2019. California's labor market agency projects +8.0% growth for construction supervisors between 2024 and 2034, from 81,400 to 87,900 jobs.

How many construction supervisor openings a year are there in California?

California projects about 6,860 openings a year for construction supervisors over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 67,000 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California and metro areas, SOC 47-1011. 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 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: California labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.