Hiring a construction manager in San Bernardino, CA

Employers in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA area pay construction managers a median of $126,040, with the middle half of the market between $98,610 and $155,320. San Bernardino residents working in management occupations report a median of $60,641, which is 52% below what the metro pays for this role.

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What does a construction manager earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile	$98,610
Median	$126,040
75th percentile	$155,320

Half of construction managers in this area earn between $98,610 and $155,320. A band set below $98,610 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What San Bernardino residents earn

$60,641

Median earnings of San Bernardino residents working in management occupations, 5,154 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 52% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The role pays well above the local residential norm, which usually means you can hire from inside San Bernardino rather than competing for commuters.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

Plan, schedule, or coordinate construction project activities to meet deadlines.
Prepare and submit budget estimates, progress reports, or cost tracking reports.
Interpret and explain plans and contract terms to representatives of the owner or developer, including administrative staff, workers, or clients.
Direct and supervise construction or related workers.
Prepare contracts or negotiate revisions to contractual agreements with architects, consultants, clients, suppliers, or subcontractors.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 11-9021.

Tools and technologies in demand

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Project, Procore software, Project management software, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Creative Cloud software.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in San Bernardino?

This is a job zone four: considerable preparation needed occupation. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

That matters here, because 12.8% of San Bernardino adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That is a thin local pool for a degree-requiring role, so expect to recruit across the metro rather than inside the city. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average San Bernardino commute runs 28.7 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 5.8% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In San Bernardino County, management of companies and enterprises employs 6,235 and turns over 8.3% a quarter, with 591 hires against 799 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $5,041 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 55.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about construction managers. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a normal churn rate, where a well-run search closes on schedule.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $25,208 to $37,812 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.