http://www.chron.com/jobs/article/Construction-science-education-can-provide-a-4168110.php

I came across this article and found something pretty interesting.

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Starting salaries average about $55,000 for new graduates, he said. Based on alumni surveys, he said with approximately five years' experience, construction management graduates are earning about $90,000.

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I graduated in May 2012 from COSC and make about where the average salary is in the article. Can anyone chime in on the $90,000 after five years experience? Does this seem realistic? I know there are a lot of factors that can go into this (company, position, location etc.), but I was wondering if anyone a few years out from COSC or related field could explain their experience with salaries in construction.

Only in Oil & Gas and that's even a stretch for COSC.

It's possible but prob the top 1-3%

I think it woul be possible if you were on site and taking into account per diem etc but for a COSC guy in an office I wouldn't expect $90k

I've been out of COSC almost 9 years. I would say $90k by 10 years is realistic. Highly unlikely at 5.

[This message has been edited by slschultz02 (edited 3/19/2013 3:26p).]

Husband is a COSC major & is coming up on 5 years. He has been with the same company (large company) all 5 years & doesn't make close to $90,000.

That is in DFW.

[This message has been edited by Aries (edited 3/19/2013 3:17p).]

I appreciate the responses. I figured that seemed pretty steep for 5 years for the most part, but 10 years sounds a lot more realistic.

Agree that $90k in 10 years is more realistic. This is assuming an office job with little travel and wise career choices in a bullish market.

Working in the field and having the ability to relocate on a whim will definitely put you in a higher earning bracket.

COSC grad after 7 years making 70k currently riding a desk. If I was back in the field, I'd be close to 90k with per diem. Project Manager in DFW.

Double post.

[This message has been edited by Texaggee05 (edited 3/19/2013 9:31p).]

I have a buddy with that degree who graduated in 06 and he's making over 90. But I cannot speak to how common that is.

Like some above said. He's on site at an o&g facility in Houston.

I went the sub route, been out almost 5, and should be at that number in another year or two.

[This message has been edited by big ben (edited 3/20/2013 7:12a).]

I graduated in December of 2008, so out for a little over 4 years now, and I just now make 55k. I've had a bunch of crappy circumstances working against me though.

First of all, I graduated at the worst possible time for going into construction. The economy crashed about a month before I graduated and the construction industry essentially went to zero immediately. At that point I was competing for jobs with guys that had years of experience that just got laid off from their job.

My first job out of school was as a foremen but basically working alongside my crew. Only made 32k. Worked there 1.5 years and and moved to another company and an office position. Worked there 6 months and got laid off due to lack of projects. Only made 36k there. Worked at a sub at another desk job and hated it and basically quit after 6 months when I found a better opportunity. Only made 38k there. So now I'm at my 4th job in just over 4 years, but I've been here almost 1.5 years and I'm very happy, and I finally feel like I am making what I should have been making as a new grad, 55k. So I'm definitely behind the 8 ball here, but I feel like I'm at least on the right track now, and I'm hoping to get a little raise soon.

My point to all that wasn't to be a pity party for myself, but to say that salary as a CoSci grad really depends on ALOT of factors. Timing, geographical location, willingness to travel, field or office, industry sector, etc.

Good luck.

I think you take the sample size of the entire country and not just Texas that seems about right for the $90k. Salaries are higher on the east and west coast than in Texas.

I've been a Project Manager for a small GC for a little over 10 years. My salary & car allowance combined is almost $80K.

Graduated COSC in 1996.
Starting salary was $37k
5 year salary in 2001 was $66k

Last year's federal taxes that I paid in were equilavent to what my starting salary was in 1996

I started with a major EPC firm. I have moved around for more money, quit, been fired and have been laid off.
I switched to Upstream with a Major O&G almost two years ago after I realized that was where the $$ was and after being told that I was going to be laid off by my previous employer in Downstream.

I do Project Controls work, scheduling with Primavera. Though I loath it at times, it pays the bills.

My background is in O&G utility. We hire COSC graduates as field Construction Managers or office PMs. At five years our CMs will clear six figures when you include per-diem and bonus.

Personally, I am an office PM. If the market remains and the company maintains a similar raise/bonus trend, I should be around 90K at my 5 year mark.

So apparently oil and gas is the way to go.

Anyone know a good way to switch from commercial construction to O&G?

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Anyone know a good way to switch from commercial construction to O&G?

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"Anyone know a good way to switch from (insert any random job sector/job title here) to O&G?" may be one of the most asked questions on TexAgs. Lol.

RangerRick - would that estimate of 90k at 5 years be a product of your added engineering degree or would that be your salary just with a CoSci degree?

To make the switch would involve networking, knowing someone in the O&G Field as well as having Project Controls experience; planning, scheduling, cost and estimating. These are the most in demand positions.

There are people that have only a high school diploma and have taken the Primavera courses and are making over $100k / year. Majority have field experience (pipefitter, boilermaker) and some college.

Downside to the $$$ is that there is little to no opportunity for advancement.

Drummer, that is without taking my MS into account. However, it would include an annual bonus. I do have some figures of what the MS will get me at a major though. Both from facility engineers that I have worked with on projects and Ags from here.

The only concrete impact that my MS will have on my career at my current employer would be to become a EPC PM. Currently, I work out of the direct construction division. All EPC PMs have engineering backgrounds. They may make a tad more, but it's negligible. However, the big kicker is a vehicle stipend in-lieu-of my current company issued truck. And gauging from what the current PMs drive, it must be pretty sweet.

Also, OT hasn't been mentioned. Last year I was approached by Bechtel and received an offer. Base was on par with what I was at, but they offered time and a half overtime. With the hours they were proposing (70-80/wk), I may have cleared six figures. However, it was strictly estimating. Appreciate it, but no thanks...

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Anyone know a good way to switch from commercial construction to O&G?

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I don't necessarily enjoy my specific trade, but love the industry, Facility O&G (i.e. downstream), that I'm in. The typical large GCs: Bechtel, Fluor, Jacobs, KBR, etc... are all over the place. S&B has a field of trailers set-up in Mont Belvieu for their Enterprise work. Bostco/Kinder Morgan is building a green field terminal in La Porte. Just take a stroll down Hwy. 225 and look at all the crane booms. Point being, there are plenty of opportunities.

My best man started at $60,000 with all the perks. 5 years later he was at $85,000 with an additional Xmas bonus of $5,000. Last year, his tenth, he hit $125,000 with his Xmas bonus.

^^^^ working for which company, doing what, where, and how many hours a week?



[This message has been edited by Slschultz02 (edited 3/20/2013 11:33p).]

Project manager
Denton
60-70 hpw

I'll withhold his company name until I get his green light. He's a private guy.

Raptor - why the sad face?

60-70 hours per week for 125k? That's good money but that's too many hours for 125k. Perhaps for COSC....

Depends on who you work for and what kind of perks you get. Working at an employee owned company, you could make a lot more than if you were working at a typical GC.

I'm one year out, work for a large EPC, 40 hours in the office, ~70k.

I will hit 90k and much much more within 5 yrs.

I graduated last May with an ENDS degree. Currently work for a glass sub as a drafter/ APM. I like what I'm doing and the folks I'm working with but I don't think if I stayed 5 years I'd even break 65k.

COSC here, specialty subcontractor. Adjusted for inflation, $90k is a little less than I was making at the 5 year mark before adding per diem, fuel card, and some other perks. Average 55-60 hpw. I don't know how common this is but it's certainly possible.

Here's something else to consider... Horlen said "construction management" graduates so maybe the numbers are for MS degree folks. BS is construction science.

I'm 5 years out from COSC, make about $83K and am about to be $95K-100K in a couple weeks. The key for me was to leave the GC world about 2.5 years ago and join the commercial real estate world.

There are good options out there for sharp, hardworking COSC grads like O&G and real estate, but I feel like the COSC dept does a poor job of presenting those options to students. It's a commercial GC dominated program.

Aggie028,

Cause I hardly ever see him again.

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I feel like the COSC dept does a poor job of presenting those options to students. It's a commercial GC dominated program.

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This. I realized a little more than halfway through that I didn't want to do commercial construction and became frustrated when literally every upper level class was geared towards exactly that.

I graduated last May and work for an O&G midstream contractor. Base is just over 63k right now, but with per diem and salary uplift for the project I'm currently on, I should make 75-80k this year.