What is the best career opportunity in construction?
Project Management and Management are the clear forerunners in construction jobs. Even with a slowing of the mining sector, opportunities continue to flourish for these positions within the construction sector.
The average salary for construction project managers is $124,603. This actually outperforms the average salary for engineering project managers which is $120,775.
The average earning capacity for construction managers is even higher at $126,122. Overall job security is excellent with over 93% of all fully qualified Construction Managers in full-time employment, with a typical working week lasting 44.9 hours.
The average annual salary for construction overall is still impressive at $109,325, again higher than the $104,347 for engineering.
Where are the best job opportunities?
Opportunity in construction careers are available across Australia in all States and continue to show strong growth. By 2019 the forecasted number of construction jobs in Australia will increase by over 125,000, with Construction Managers in high demand and over 10,000 positions available each year.
SEEK is reporting that the highest demand for construction jobs is in the Northern Territory. In fact, for those willing to relocate, the Northern Territory has some of the biggest salaries in Australia.
How do the States compare?
Construction Managers are in demand and pay top 20 salaries across all States. Construction Project Managers offer top 20 salaries in all States except Tasmania and Victoria. Beginning a career in construction as a forehand or supervisor is also lucrative with plenty of opportunities for career advancement into management or project management.
Below is how the average wage for project management and management jobs in construction breakdown by State, if they appear in the top 20 jobs of that State:
| Management | Project Management | Foreman/Supervisor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | $128,073 | $130,207 | $122,547 |
| ACT | $124,770 | $126,559 | $118,419 |
| QLD | $120,071 | $120,411 | |
| SA | $121,608 | $113,666 | |
| TAS | $108,800 | ||
| VIC | $108,800 | ||
| WA | $120,446 | $119,985 |
- Quality Assurance & Control – $144,121
- Foreperson/Supervisors – $132,219
- Contracts Management – $131,287
- Health Safety and Environment – $124,269
- Planning and Scheduling – $120,735
Construction is a diverse and flexible career choice
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the following:
- As at November 2017, the construction sector in Australia employed 1.163 million people – up from 1.063 million in November 2016.
- Of these, around 1.039 million were men while 123,800 were women. This means men outnumber women in the sector by a factor of 8.4 to one.
- Around 769,600 workers are employed in construction services, followed by 303,400 in building construction and 87,900 in heavy and civil engineering construction. A further 2,200 workers were not classified.
- 994,100 construction workers were employed full time while 169,000 were employed part-time.
Why you need to act on the construction opportunity now
A career in construction makes strategic sense, with scope for great salaries, job satisfaction and job security. With so much growth and access to jobs within the construction sector, you don’t want to miss out on entering the sector now and securing a position that is a perfect fit for you.
As the job market becomes more educated about the wealth of opportunity available in construction, more candidates will make a move from other sectors such as mining, building, engineering and even IT.
The smart decision is to undertake a qualification now that will put you ahead of the job market. The best choices for construction are to complete a Diploma of Project Management (BSB51415), Diploma of Leadership & Management (BSB51918) or Diploma of Building & Construction Management (CPC50308).