Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Construction Manager Salary in Atlanta
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Management · COL Index: 106
Construction Managers in Atlanta, GA earn a median annual wage of $104,280 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $71,700 and the 90th at $168,740. After cost of living, that translates to $98,377 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: B (75/100).
What Construction Managers Take Home in Atlanta
The $97,040 spread between entry-level and top-decile construction managers in Atlanta is around 93% of the median — a typical range for skilled trades. Workers can roughly double their entry pay through a combination of experience, certifications, union membership, and moving from helper to journeyman to foreman roles.
Atlanta's cost-of-living index of 106 is within a few points of the U.S. average, so the $104,280 median for construction managers here translates almost directly into real purchasing power — roughly $98,377 in U.S.-average terms. What you see is what you take home, with no significant adjustment up or down.
With a Trade Pay Score of 75 (B), construction managers in Atlanta land in the strong second tier. Pay, growth, and purchasing power are all solid but one factor — usually wage growth or cost-of-living-adjusted real pay — keeps the score below the A threshold. For most workers, B-graded combinations are perfectly reasonable career choices.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Level | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Apprentice / Entry) | $71,700 | $67,642 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $81,960 | $77,321 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $104,280 | $98,377 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $131,990 | $124,519 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $168,740 | $159,189 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure here comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — a survey of about 1.2 million employers per release covering more than 800 occupations and every U.S. metropolitan statistical area. The Trade Pay Score combines raw median pay (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%) into a single 0-100 grade. Read the full methodology.
Career outlook detail — projected 2032 employment levels for construction managers, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in Atlanta are listed at apprenticeship.gov. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Construction Manager make in Atlanta?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median construction manager salary in Atlanta, GA is $104,280. The 10th percentile is $71,700 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $168,740 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does Atlanta pay compare for Construction Managers?
With a Trade Pay Score of 75/100 and a grade of B, the Atlanta-Construction Manager pairing is a strong combination but with one factor (usually growth or cost-of-living-adjusted real pay) holding it back from an A grade.
What is the apprenticeship path for Construction Managers in Atlanta?
Construction Manager entry typically does not require a formal apprenticeship — entry-level workers earn around $71,700 and reach median pay over 5-10 years of experience. Registered apprenticeship programs in the area are listed at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
How does cost of living affect Construction Manager pay in Atlanta?
Atlanta has a cost-of-living index of 106. The median construction manager salary of $104,280 translates to $98,377 in U.S.-average purchasing power — a downward adjustment because the metro is more expensive than average.
Where does this salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is a real BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median or percentile from the 2024 release at https://www.bls.gov/oes/, which surveys roughly 1.2 million U.S. employers per release. Career outlook context (projected employment growth through 2032) comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. Both are public-domain U.S. government data sources.
Other High-Paying Trades in Atlanta
$95,920 median · Grade B
$89,140 median · Grade C
$82,050 median · Grade B
$82,050 median · Grade B
$70,190 median · Grade B
$67,510 median · Grade C
Construction Managers in Atlanta, GA earn a median annual wage of $104,280 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $71,700 and the 90th at $168,740. After cost of living, that translates to $98,377 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: B (75/100).
For Construction Managers in Atlanta, GA, the underlying data on this page comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
Every number on this page links back to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for Construction Managers in Atlanta, GA is typically a peer within U.S. trades, cities, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.