jobfacts

Construction project managers and related professionals

SOC 2020 2455

Construction project managers and related professionals manage and oversee major construction and civil engineering projects and major building contracts for quality of work, safety, timeliness and completion within budget, forecast travel patterns and develop strategies for managing the impact of traffic-related demand.

Also calledTransport plannerContracts managerProject managerTraffic plannerElectrical contracts managerClerk of worksand 14 more titles
Typical full-time pay£47,7002025 Provisional
People in the job116,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month1,200↑ 17%on last year · 158th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time construction project managers and related professionals earn between £37,800 and £57,500 a year.

What full-time construction project managers and related professionals earn, 2025
£47,700 typical£32,100lowest 10%£37,80025%£57,50075%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£37,800–£57,500)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£32,100
Lowest 20% earn less than£36,600
25%£37,800
Median£47,700
75%£57,500
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £47,700
North East!£55,200
North West!£49,000
London!£46,300
East of England!£45,900
West Midlands!£43,300
East Midlands!£39,900
South East!£37,500
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £47,700
North East£55,200 (small sample)
North West£49,000 (small sample)
London£46,300 (small sample)
East of England£45,900 (small sample)
West Midlands£43,300 (small sample)
East Midlands£39,900 (small sample)
South East£37,500 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £41,500
  • 2024 £44,100
  • 2025 Provisional£47,700
↑ 15% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,200 jobs for construction project managers and related professionals are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20261,830
Jul 20261,348
Jun 20261,254
May 20261,341
Apr 20261,109
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20261,151
Jan 20261,229
Dec 2025656
Nov 20251,129
Oct 20251,202
Sept 20251,145
Aug 20251,056
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 20251,254
Apr 2025982
Mar 20251,091
Feb 20251,328
Jan 20251,029
Dec 2024633
Nov 2024894
Oct 2024964
Sept 20241,063
Aug 2024991
Jul 20241,157
Jun 2024973
May 20241,158
Apr 20241,120
Mar 2024918
Feb 2024914
Jan 20241,243
Dec 2023850
Nov 2023907
Oct 2023891
Sept 2023946
Aug 2023983
Jul 20231,014
Jun 20231,344
May 20231,271
Apr 20231,078
Mar 20231,234
Feb 20231,397
Jan 20231,418
Dec 20221,103
Nov 20221,436
Oct 20221,481
Sept 20221,323
Aug 20221,385
Jul 20221,373
Jun 20221,429
May 20221,586
Apr 20221,226
Mar 20221,691
Feb 20221,395
Jan 20221,617
Dec 20211,379
Nov 20211,421
Oct 20211,491
Sept 20211,374
Aug 20211,329
Jul 20211,589
Jun 20211,608
May 20211,506
Apr 20211,265
Mar 20211,620
Feb 20211,054
Jan 20211,108
Dec 2020934
Nov 20201,017
Oct 20201,003
Sept 2020801
Aug 2020724
Jul 2020831
Jun 2020939
May 2020514
Apr 2020740
Mar 20201,331
Feb 20201,377
Jan 20201,302
Dec 2019989
Nov 20191,272
Oct 20191,389
Sept 20191,367
Aug 20191,241
Jul 20191,543
Jun 20191,460
May 20191,391
Apr 20191,059
Mar 20191,182
Feb 20191,185
Jan 20191,463
Dec 2018917
Nov 20181,128
Oct 20181,236
Sept 20181,270
Aug 20181,144
Jul 20181,145
Jun 20181,169
May 20181,356
Apr 20181,017
Mar 20181,212
Feb 20181,040
Jan 20181,282
Dec 2017791
Nov 20171,021
Oct 20171,454
Sept 20171,282
Aug 20171,476
Jul 20171,561
Jun 20171,616
May 20171,537
Apr 20171,495
Mar 20171,665
Feb 20171,267
Jan 20171,472
Is there a shortage of construction project managers and related professionals?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
50%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for architects, chartered architectural technologists, planning officers, surveyors and construction professionals, which includes construction project managers and related professionals. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London560
Birmingham177
Manchester144
Leeds108
Bristol, City of106
Glasgow City60
Nottingham50
Newcastle upon Tyne42
Cambridge38
Sheffield37
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where construction project managers and related professionals are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 292 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from France, Spain, Netherlands, ranking it 55th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of construction project managers and related professionals
n/p
24%!
27%
28%
17%
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3424% (small sample)
35–4427%
45–5428%
55–6417%
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent51%
Higher education below degree9%
A levels or equivalent24%
GCSEs or equivalent11%
Other qualifications!4.6%
No qualifications!1.5%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent51%
Higher education below degree9%
A levels or equivalent24%
GCSEs or equivalent11%
Other qualifications4.6% (small sample)
No qualifications1.5% (small sample)

Main employers: construction of residential and non-residential buildings (34%), construction of other civil engineering projects nec (9.7%), engineering activities and related technical consultancy (7.9%), construction of roads and motorways (2.9%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
51%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
4
from level 3, including degree apprenticeships
Apprenticeships take
2½ to 5 years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

University

You can do a degree and then join an organisation as a trainee transport planner. Most subjects are accepted though you may have an advantage if you study:

  • geography
  • civil engineering
  • economics
  • town planning
  • environmental science
  • business studies

Many graduates go on to do a postgraduate qualification in transport planning approved by the Transport Planning Society.

Getting work experience through internships, summer placements or a year in industry may give you an advantage when applying for graduate roles. Your university careers service can help you to find opportunities during your studies.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do a Transport Planning Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, or Transport Scheduler Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

You might then move on to do a Transport Planner Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Registration and professional bodies

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Transport Planning Society or the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation for professional development and training opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a transport planner from the Transport Planning Society.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for transport planner. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

4 for this job
Level 3About 2½ years

Transport planning technician

You gain
Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Transport Planning
Leads to
Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT)
Employers may ask for
Individual employers will set the selection criteria for their Apprentices, but many will be seeking candidates with an aptitude for handling data and have a…
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • draws up budgets and timescales for new construction projects based on clients’ requirements
  • briefs project team, contractors and suppliers
  • assembles information for invoicing at the end of projects
  • plans work schedules for construction projects based on prior discussion with architects, Chartered architectural technologists, surveyors etc.
  • hires and may supervise site staff, establishes temporary site offices, takes delivery of materials
  • regularly inspects and monitors progress and quality of work, ensures legal requirements are met
  • identifies defects in work and proposes corrections
  • records, monitors and reports progress
  • forecasts the impact on traffic and transport of new developments (e.g. shopping centre)
  • assesses schemes to manage traffic such as congestion charging and parking controls
  • examines accident ‘blackspots’ to improve road safety
  • writes reports for funding bids and planning authorities and acts as expert witness

Skills

  • advise on construction materials
  • apply safety management
  • assess construction compliance
  • calculate needs for construction supplies
  • communicate with construction crews
  • ensure compliance with legal requirements
  • identify construction materials from blueprints
  • identify customer's needs
  • interpret technical requirements
  • manage contracts
  • oversee construction project
  • plan construction of houses
  • prepare construction documents
  • review construction projects

Knowledge

  • budgetary principles
  • building materials industry
  • civil engineering
  • construction equipment related to building materials
  • construction industry
  • construction product regulation
  • cost management
  • project management

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for business, media and public service professionals, a group of 32 jobs that includes construction project managers and related professionals.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 26%about 670,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20352.1 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.