Specialized commercial experience now commands a 15–25% salary premium, and the gap is still widening. Here's what the numbers show and what it means for your hiring strategy.
If you’ve watched construction salaries over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed something: not all project management roles are paying the same anymore. Commercial project managers are pulling ahead, and the gap is widening faster than many in the industry realize. The pay gap, in numbers Recent industry salary surveys tell a consistent story. […]
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Big projects, a shrinking bench, and a statewide race for skilled workers. Here's what California contractors need to know this year.
California’s construction industry enters 2026 with a familiar paradox: the work is there, but the workers aren’t. Between major infrastructure programs, housing mandates, and a wave of commercial and renewable-energy projects, contractors across the state are booking work at a healthy clip. Yet nearly every firm we talk to says the same thing: finding qualified […]
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Superintendent pay has always varied by metro. But in 2026, the spread between the top-paying markets and the rest is getting wider.
Superintendent pay has never been the same from city to city. That’s always been true. What’s different in 2026 is how much the gap has grown. A superintendent in one metro can earn meaningfully more than a peer with identical experience a few hundred miles away, and the reasons aren’t hard to find. Where the […]
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Pay is up. Time-to-fill is up too. The two trends shouldn't coexist — but in today's market, they do.
Foreman pay is climbing. That much is clear. But look past the wage numbers and a second trend emerges: hiring is getting slower, not faster. Wages and timelines are moving in the same direction, and for firms trying to staff crews, that’s a problem. The Wage Picture Foreman compensation has risen steadily across most markets. […]
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A hidden bottleneck in the construction talent market — and what it means for contractors who need to bid, win, and deliver.
Every commercial construction project starts the same way: with an estimate. Someone has to read the plans, price the materials, account for labor, and produce a number that wins the job without bleeding the company dry. For mechanical contractors, that someone is the HVAC estimator. It’s a quiet, technical, high-stakes role. And right now, it’s […]
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