site supervisor
As a site supervisor, you hold one of the most important roles because one of your main goals is to ensure the safety of your workers. Another priority is to guarantee projects are finished on schedule and as efficiently as possible. Learn about the tasks you'll perform, the salary you are likely to make, and how to apply for this job.
site supervisor jobsaverage salary of a site supervisor
Site supervisors make a salary of roughly £68,000 a year, according to Payscale. As an entry-level supervisor, your pay will be around £50,000 a year. You stand to make £74,000 after the appropriate years of experience being accounted for. Your salary would typically be higher in the metropolitan sector, with Los Angeles and New York City serving as examples of where you would be paid the most. Slightly smaller cities such as Atlanta and Cincinnati show that some urban areas will give significantly lower returns. Companies that specialize in building and supporting infrastructure offer an average salary of £66,000 to site supervisors.
types of site supervisors
There are jobs within the construction field that have the same duties as a site supervisor. Architectural managers are also responsible for managing their worksite and getting projects completed in an efficient manner. Cost estimators perform the role of making sure the project's budget remains intact, allowing for the team to focus on the manual labor. Civil engineers, standard, and landscape architects fill the role of designers for the most part but are also known to supervise teams working on the same project. The majority of these jobs make significantly more in salary than a site supervisor would and require additional qualifications should you wish to transition into them.
working as a site supervisor
Your contributions as a site supervisor are important because you are safeguarding the lives of every worker on the site. Additionally, your skills help to improve infrastructure across the country, upgrade buildings to energy-efficient systems, and construct structures needed to address the boom in business and the population. There are plenty of routes to take should you choose to advance further in your career. You can advance as far as a construction manager or a superintendent, but there is also the option to become a project manager or a self-employed contractor if your schedule allows for the added travel and work. If you believe that working in groups gets things done, then look into applying for this role.
When you take on the role of site supervisor, not only will you oversee a team, but you'll have a set of your own responsibilities. Learn about your duties as well as your general work environment and the future of this job.
site supervisor job description
As a site supervisor, you will monitor the workers that perform their duties under your watch. You will also coordinate with foremen and managers by planning out work tasks, making sure the construction site receives the materials it needs, and drafting reports about the project for the manager.
the role of safety
Safety remains the main priority of being a site supervisor and your responsibilities reflect this. You would perform inspections in order to assess the strength of the regulations present on the site and report any safety issues that you come across. In the event of an on-site accident, you have the authority to take care of the issue, put precautions in place to prevent it from reoccurring, and perform first aid if needed. You will also need to be available for whenever a third party, such as a state health and safety inspector, enacts an inspection at the construction site.
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work environment
There is an office that you will work out of for some duties, but a majority of your role will take place on-site. This is because the safety aspect requires supervision and a hands-on approach. Travel will be involved, including possible out-of-state trips, if you supervise multiple projects, and this expands the number of hours that you are away from home during the week. These projects belong to both the public and the private sector.
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work schedule
Typically, being a site supervisor is a fulltime role that works the standard 40 hour per week schedule. Because safety is a important part of your job, expect to be on call 24 hours a day in case an emergency situation occurs. You should also take into account that some deadlines push you into working evenings, weekends and some holidays. If you're the head of more than one project, expect the travel between sites to also lengthen your schedule.
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job outlook
The need for site supervisors is expected to expand due to the growth of the business sector and the population. Both of these booms will require the construction of municipal buildings and upgrading infrastructure to offer more civilian support. Site supervisors will also be necessary for projects involved in making structures more energy efficient. Also, thanks to construction methods becoming more meticulous, safety measures are more complex and need to be vetted on a consistent basis. The ebb and flow of the construction industry is what dictates how often you will be working in this field.
education & skills
Employers look for aspiring site supervisors to have a bachelor's degree in engineering, construction or architecture. It is possible to become a supervisor with a high school diploma or the equivalent and some work experience, but these candidates typically work as self-employed contractors. If you hold an associate's degree in construction management, this would increase your chances in heading more projects. You will need a license to work in some states and both the American Institute of Constructors and the Construction Management Association of America provides one after you pass the required examinations.
skills & competencies
Site supervisors are expected to have a firm grasp on health and safety protocols, as well as the legal matters associated with them. If you know the current environmental and societal welfare issues in the site's state, you stand to better protect yourself against any possible litigation. You will excel in your role if you showcase a strong understanding of safety procedures and first aid techniques. Your organizational skills will allow you to interpret all drawings and contracts linked to the construction site that you manage. The most important skill to have is the ability to maintain a positive attitude even under stressful situations. This improves your ability to mediate disputes and to motivate your workforce to perform to the best of their ability.
FAQs
Here are the most asked questions about working as a site supervisor.
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What does a site supervisor do?
A site supervisor is responsible for the health and safety of the construction site as well as the workers who perform their duties. You also coordinate with the foreman and manager to make sure that the site has the materials needed and that the project stays on a consistent timetable. In the event of an emergency, you need to solve the issue and possibly administer aid to any injured employees. You also need to hold employees accountable should they be found in violation of the site's safety procedures.
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What is site supervision?
Site supervision is based around the logistics involved in keeping a construction site running smoothly. These largely revolve around keeping the site up to code as per legal requirements. You should also expect to perform multiple inspections to make sure things fall in line with the safety criteria of the project. The secondary goal is to make sure all project expectations are met and that the workers have what they need to accomplish this task.
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How much does a site supervisor earn?
The average salary to expect as a site supervisor is £68,000 per year. Entry-level supervisors stand to make a bit less than that, but having skills such as project and contractor management will push your pay closer to the norm. After a suitable amount of experience, you will probably make as much as £74,000 per year. Your salary will also be on the higher end of the scale if you work for infrastructure providers or in the larger metropolitan cities.
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What do I need to be a site supervisor?
If you're considering the role, the first thing you should have is a bachelor's degree that relates to either construction or engineering. You also want to have an associate's degree in construction management in order to maximize the pay you receive. A license is required in many states, so that would be the next step to apply for the job. You can take exams through the Construction Management Association of America or the American Institute of Constructors to achieve this goal.
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What are the 5 roles of a supervisor?
The first role that you maintain is that of an educator, meaning that not only do you need to know the safety procedures of the construction site, but it's also your job to inform the foreman, the manager and the workforce of what these regulations entail. You serve as a sponsor by guaranteeing your workers are skilled in the areas that they are assigned as well as by making sure they have the appropriate qualifications. You act as a coach by making sure the site is operating in an efficient manner, and that the workforce is performing to the best of its ability. You perform as a counselor when it comes to enforcing safety procedures, making sure to be fair but firm in order to properly resolve the situation as smoothly as possible. Finally, you sit in the role of director during meetings with the foreman or manager, giving your informed opinions about how to regulate the construction site.
