Construction Supervisors in the State College area earn a median of $78,880 a year, 2% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #150 of 392 metros for construction supervisor salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Altoona and Harrisburg, but less in Williamsport.
It's one of 16 Pennsylvania metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide construction supervisor pay.
Construction Supervisor pay in State College at a glance
- Construction supervisors in the State College, PA metro earn a median $78,880 a year ($37.92 an hour), #150 of 392 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $56,360 and $116,390.
- After local prices, that median buys what $81,520 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,282 a month, 20% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among construction supervisors in State College.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker. The median here works out to about $38 an hour in yearly terms.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for construction supervisors here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, and about average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (3.3%) and the population is shrinking (-0.4% since 2020).
State College scorecard for construction supervisors Our calculation
Grades compare State College with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($77,215).
Pay over time
The median pay for construction supervisors in the State College area went from $71,500 in 2020 to $78,880 in 2025, up 10.3%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -12.0% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in State College Our calculation
Prices in the State College area run 3% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $81,520 would in a typical place, ranking #206 of 386 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a State College budget on this pay from this pay, local rent and prices.
What construction supervisors do
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Inspect work progress, equipment, or construction sites to verify safety or to ensure that specifications are met.
- Read specifications, such as blueprints, to determine construction requirements or to plan procedures.
- Supervise, coordinate, or schedule the activities of construction or extractive workers.
- Assign work to employees, based on material or worker requirements of specific jobs.
- Coordinate work activities with other construction project activities.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, construction supervisor jobs are projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 67,000 openings a year. About 11% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often construction supervisors deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Pennsylvania Official source
The main state licensing office in Pennsylvania is the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Home improvement contractors register with the state; most trades are licensed locally. It can point you to the right license for construction supervisors.
Official Pennsylvania licensing site ↗
Requirements for construction supervisors vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, construction supervisors have 72 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 17% below the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is overexertion and repetitive strain.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying PA metros for construction supervisors
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhiladelphiaPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $95,840 | $93,453 | 10,700 |
| HarrisburgPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $86,090 | $87,268 | 1,320 |
| PittsburghPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $83,030 | $87,704 | 6,000 |
| AllentownPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $82,490 | $82,516 | 1,280 |
| AltoonaPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $80,220 | $89,624 | 300 |
| YorkPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $80,000 | $83,333 | 1,000 |
| EriePENNSYLVANIA · PA | $79,350 | $87,246 | 420 |
| State CollegePENNSYLVANIA · PA | $78,880 | $81,520 | 340 |
| ReadingPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $78,770 | $81,156 | 700 |
| ScrantonPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $78,660 | $84,078 | 990 |
See every metro in Pennsylvania.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The State College area's unemployment rate was 3.3% in 2025 (all workers, not just construction supervisors), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.4% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the State College area is 21 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 61% drive alone, 4% take transit and 14% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The State College area's population shrank 0.4% from 2020 to 2025 (158,035 → 157,393), ranking #311 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -557).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in State College
The State College area has about 67,398 homes. 49% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 10% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 63% of households own their home, and the median home value is $339,200.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in State College are down 52% from 2021 to 2025 (654 → 314).
In 2025 the State College area approved permits for 314 new homes (255 single-family), or 2.0 per 1,000 residents, ranking #294 of 393 metros.
What new hires earn here
People newly hired into construction jobs in the State College area earn about $78,400 a year at the start, compared with $71,400 for all construction workers who've stayed with their employer. By age, construction workers 19 to 24 average about $50,700 a year here, and those 45 to 54 about $75,900. That's for every construction job combined, not just construction supervisors, but it shows how much experience is worth here.
Census Quarterly Workforce Indicators, construction (NAICS 23), private employers, 2024 Q4–2025 Q3. Monthly earnings × 12.
Storm and disaster rebuild work
Since 2016, the State College area has had 1 federal major disaster, fewer than most metros, mostly floods. The latest was declared in 2016 (Severe Storms And Flooding).
FEMA disaster declarations, counties in this metro, fiscal years 2016–2026. COVID-19 declarations are left out.
Traveling here for work
Out-of-town construction supervisors on travel jobs here are often paid per diem. The federal rate is $132 a night for lodging plus $74 a day for meals, the State College rate: about $1,442 a week on top of wages. Compare a travel job here with a local one.
GSA per diem rates, FY2027 (October 2026–September 2027). Employers set their own per diem; many use the GSA rate as a guide.
Working outdoors in State College Government data
In an average year, State College has 6 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 122 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 83 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 44 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 79°F and winter nights 23°F. That matters for construction supervisors: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, State College, PA station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $78,880 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get construction supervisor pricing & estimate templates →Compare State College with another city →
Keep exploring
Could this trade pay more somewhere else?
ToolBest cities for construction supervisorsRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in State CollegeSee where it falls among local construction supervisors, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolState College budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the State College metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank State College against every other metro for construction supervisors. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.
Report a data issue on this page
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for construction supervisors as a separate industry, so that section is left out.