Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Construction Manager Salary in New York
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Management · COL Index: 187
Construction Managers in New York, NY earn a median annual wage of $138,000 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $79,640 and the 90th at $234,650. After cost of living, that translates to $73,797 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: B (70/100).
What Construction Managers Take Home in New York
The $155,010 spread between entry-level and top-decile construction managers in New York is wide — about 112% of the median. That breadth points to a trade where specialization, certifications, and supervisory roles meaningfully change earning potential. Top-decile workers can earn substantially more than the headline median suggests, particularly in industrial or commercial-grade work.
New York's cost-of-living index of 187 is well above the U.S. average — meaning a construction manager earning $138,000 here brings home roughly $73,797 in U.S.-average purchasing power. That gap between nominal and real pay is one of the largest in the country and reflects expensive housing, transportation, and services. Workers should weigh whether the headline pay actually clears the cost-of-living premium.
With a Trade Pay Score of 70 (B), construction managers in New York 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) | $79,640 | $42,588 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $101,000 | $54,011 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $138,000 | $73,797 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $179,950 | $96,230 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $234,650 | $125,481 |
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 New York are listed at apprenticeship.gov. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Construction Manager make in New York?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median construction manager salary in New York, NY is $138,000. The 10th percentile is $79,640 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $234,650 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does New York pay compare for Construction Managers?
With a Trade Pay Score of 70/100 and a grade of B, the New York-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 New York?
Construction Manager entry typically does not require a formal apprenticeship — entry-level workers earn around $79,640 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 New York?
New York has a cost-of-living index of 187. The median construction manager salary of $138,000 translates to $73,797 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.
Construction Managers in New York, NY earn a median annual wage of $138,000 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $79,640 and the 90th at $234,650. After cost of living, that translates to $73,797 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: B (70/100).
For this entity, 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.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. trades, cities, and states. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.