Construction Supervisors in the La Crosse area earn a median of $77,500 a year, 0% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #188 of 392 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Rochester and Eau Claire, but less in Dubuque.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for construction supervisors here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (2.9%) and the population is growing slowly (+0.4% since 2020).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
La Crosse scorecard for construction supervisors Our calculation
Grades compare La Crosse 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 La Crosse area went from $78,340 in 2020 to $77,500 in 2025, down 1.1%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -21.1% — 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 La Crosse Our calculation
Prices in La Crosse run 8% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $84,451 would in a typical place, ranking #145 of 386 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. 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.
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 Wisconsin Official source
The main state licensing office in Wisconsin is the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. It can point you to the right license for construction supervisors.
Official Wisconsin 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 WI metros for construction supervisors
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AppletonWISCONSIN · WI | $98,970 | $107,088 | 1,060 |
| JanesvilleWISCONSIN · WI | $97,310 | $103,849 | 560 |
| MadisonWISCONSIN · WI | $93,290 | $95,892 | 2,320 |
| OshkoshWISCONSIN · WI | $93,210 | $100,302 | 670 |
| RacineWISCONSIN · WI | $93,060 | $96,977 | 410 |
| Eau ClaireWISCONSIN · WI | $92,060 | $99,207 | 480 |
| MilwaukeeWISCONSIN · WI | $91,760 | $94,659 | 3,860 |
| Green BayWISCONSIN · WI | $81,480 | $87,532 | 880 |
| KenoshaWISCONSIN · WI | $79,560 | $78,680 | 270 |
| Fond du LacWISCONSIN · WI | $78,150 | $85,277 | 310 |
See every metro in Wisconsin.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The La Crosse area's unemployment rate was 2.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just construction supervisors), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the La Crosse area is 19 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 76% drive alone, 0% take transit and 13% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The La Crosse area's population grew 0.4% from 2020 to 2025 (170,493 → 171,182), ranking #280 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +1,044) account for more than all of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in La Crosse
The La Crosse area has about 78,106 homes. 53% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 12% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 66% of households own their home, and the median home value is $274,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in La Crosse are down 31% from 2021 to 2025 (694 → 476).
In 2025 the La Crosse area approved permits for 476 new homes (318 single-family), or 2.8 per 1,000 residents, ranking #234 of 393 metros.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $77,500 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. 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 La Crosse with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for construction supervisors as a separate industry, so that section is left out.