As of the most recent data, the construction industry in the United States employs approximately 7.5 million people, including trade and non-trade workers. When focusing on non-trade employees specifically within general contractors and construction management firms, this includes roles such as:

• Executive and Senior Management
• Preconstruction Managers and Estimators
• Project Managers.
• Superintendents
• Administrative and Support Staff
• Legal, HR, and Finance personnel

Non-trade employees typically make up about 15%­–20% of the total construction workforce, and this number varies based on factors such as the size of the firm, economic conditions, and market demand yet accounts for more than 1.1 million to as high as 1.5 million at any given time, nationally.

The five states that typically employ the most workers in the construction industry, including trade and non-trade positions (those at general contractors and construction management firms), based on 2024 trends and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and industry reports are:

• California with a population of 39.24 million has a construction workforce of around 7.2% of the total workforce, or 2.8 million employed in the construction industry.
• Texas, with a population of 30.05 million, has a construction workforce of around 7.6% of the total workforce, or 2.3 million employed in the construction industry.
• Florida, with a population of 22.24 million, has a construction workforce of around 7.1% of the total workforce, or 1.6 million employed in the construction industry.
• New York, with a population of 19.85 million, has a construction workforce of around 6.8% of the total workforce, or 1.3 million employed in the construction industry.
• Illinois, with a population of 12.67 million, has a construction workforce of around 6.4% of the total workforce, or 800,000 employed in the construction industry.

 

Career Success in the Construction Industry: Minimizing Hiring Risks and Understanding Terms

 

At Florida Construction Connection, we’ve developed a trademarked career matchmaking process specifically designed to minimize hiring risks for both employees and hiring managers. With over 25 years of experience, I’ve worked with hundreds of companies and personally conducted more than 20,000 career consultations. Additionally, I’ve reviewed hundreds of consultation notes, further enhancing our approach to finding the right fit for every role. In my experience, many misnomers are associated with understanding the terms full-time, wage and labor burden and what creates stability. Understanding these three points will assist you when communicating for career success.

 

Understanding Full-Time Roles in the Construction Industry

 

A full-time opening in the construction industry does not mean a long-term role.

 

It’s good to ask during interviews or look into the company’s history to get a better idea of how long the role is expected to last. If they say they have additional projects, dig into the timing of those projects and ask what would happen if the next project did not line up.

When a job listing in the construction industry says it’s a full-time opening, it typically means that the role requires you to work a set number of hours each week, usually 40 hours or more, and oftentimes has company-offered benefits associated with the role. However, “full-time” doesn’t always guarantee job stability or long-term employment. In construction, many positions are tied to specific projects, and once the project is completed, the role could end. So, while you might be working full-time hours, the job may not have long-term security, and you might need to find another position once the project wraps up.

Most roles in the construction industry are not funded through overhead and general conditions and job-costed to a particular project or shared among projects, so, on interview, understand how your role stays secure.

 

Project-Based Funding and Job Security in the Construction Industry

 

In the construction industry, many roles are funded directly through the specific project you’re working on, rather than being covered by the company’s general operational budget.

 

This means that the financial support for your position comes from the project’s budget, and if that project ends or is delayed, your role could be affected. It’s crucial to understand how your position is funded as many roles, such as construction managers (field and office based), project accounting, labor and trade sub-contractors, are most often funded through the project budget itself and not funded through overhead and general conditions, which typically refer to the costs that support the overall operation of the company itself, such as IT, Corporate Accounting, Human Resources and Senior Leadership.

What that means for you is that your job security could be closely tied to the success or completion of the projects you’re working on. If a project ends or gets canceled, the funding for your role might also end.

 

Timing Raise Requests in the Construction Industry: Protecting Job and Project Stability

 

Asking for a raise in the middle of a project or out of sequence to your next scheduled compensation review can affect your employment stability no matter how well your performance is.

 

In construction, you are paid a base wage, and the employer has a “labor burden” associated with the base wage, which refers to the additional costs associated with employing you or others beyond their base wages. This includes benefits, insurance, payroll taxes, retirement contributions and other overhead costs.

When seeking a raise in the middle of a project or before your next scheduled review, it’s important to consider how that could impact the project’s financial stability. A raise means your labor burden will increase, and for a project that’s already in progress, this can strain the budget, potentially causing delays or financial issues. Contractors and project managers typically have a set budget for labor costs, and increasing wages outside of the regular review cycle can disrupt that budget, leading to complications in completing the project successfully with sustainable company profit.

Therefore, it’s usually better to wait for your next scheduled review or project milestone before requesting a raise. This way, the employer can properly account for the increase in labor costs, and it won’t affect the stability of the project or the overall workforce. It also ensures that you’re positioned to discuss your performance and the value you bring to the team, which can help strengthen your case for a raise when the time is right.

 

Key Interview Questions to Gauge Job Security in the Construction Industry

 

When interviewing, it’s important to ask how your position is funded and what happens when a project concludes. Find out if there are other projects lined up and if the company has a track record of keeping employees on after one project finishes, along with what determines who they keep and who they lay off when forced to do so. Understanding this and the work expectation as it relates to time at the job can help you gauge how secure your role might be in the long term.

 

Closing Advice for Hiring Managers and Candidates

 

For hiring managers, it’s crucial to communicate not just the requirements and duties of the role but also the potential project timeline and funding structure so candidates can make an informed decision. Transparency regarding job security and project-based funding can set expectations upfront, reducing turnover and fostering long-term stability.

For candidates, being proactive in understanding the stability of a role—knowing how it’s funded and what could happen when a project concludes—will help you make better career decisions. Don’t hesitate to ask questions about the company’s history of keeping employees on after projects close-out. In addition, remember that carefully timing a raise request is key to ensuring your personal goals and the stability of the project align.

If you’re a non-trade professional ready to take the next step in your construction career or a hiring manager seeking to find the right fit for your team, let’s connect. Our expertise in the industry will help guide you to better stability in the future. Call/Text 305-361-0094 to Make it Happen!

 

To Your Career Stability,

Suzanne Breistol