How To Become A Project Supervisor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a project supervisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Project supervisors are charged with ensuring that all aspects of a project are properly completed. They find employment in construction, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and design industries. Their work environment varies by industry. They work with the project manager to create a project plan and define the resources needed to complete each phase of the project. Also, they work with the account manager to evaluate client needs

Additionally, they work with the supply chain management team to facilitate the purchase and delivery of necessary resources.

To get this job, you need at least a bachelor's degree in business management, project management, engineering, or a related discipline. You must possess communication, teamwork, conflict resolution, leadership, analytical, and problem-solving skills. You must be able to use project management software. The salary of a project supervisor varies from $45,632 to $58,033, with an average base salary of $51,304 per annum.

ScoreProject SupervisorUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,609

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.6

Growth Rate 8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.04%

Asian 1.41%

Black or African American 5.23%

Hispanic or Latino 22.97%

Unknown 3.85%

White 65.49%

Gender

female 20.57%

male 79.43%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress Level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

7.4

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.1

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a project supervisor

Explore project supervisor education requirements

Most common project supervisor degrees

Bachelor's

56.9 %

Associate

16.8 %

High School Diploma

9.7 %

Start to develop specific project supervisor skills

Skills	Percentages
Project Management	13.12%
Customer Service	11.51%
Safety Standards	8.22%
Safety Procedures	7.02%
Fire Protection	6.23%

Complete relevant project supervisor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New project supervisors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a project supervisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real project supervisor resumes.

Gain additional project supervisor certifications

Project supervisor certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific project supervisor certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for project supervisors include OSHA Safety Certificate and Master Project Manager (MPM).

More About Certifications

Research project supervisor duties and responsibilities

Manage paving of asphalt for road reconstruction and estimate cost base on gather quantities of daily progress.
Manage and supervise residential remodel and new construction projects.
Maintain all accounting and payroll for small business and manage all small business operations including marketing.
Install cabling, copper, fiber, test, in accordance with NEC TIA/EIA NIST standards.

Prepare your project supervisor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your project supervisor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a project supervisor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Project Supervisor Resume templates

Build a professional Project Supervisor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Project Supervisor resume.

Apply for project supervisor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a project supervisor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do project supervisors rate their job?

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Project Supervisor reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Cons

Stress of making sure everything is coming in under budget and efficiently.