Commercial construction recruiters serving Houston.
Standard Houston superintendents and estimators run above national. Superintendents with an industrial or healthcare portfolio command a 10-15% premium on top of that — the single hardest hire in this market.
A real baseline premium, plus a 10-15% portfolio tax.
Standard commercial construction superintendents and estimators in Houston earn above the national average — a real premium tied to a market where petrochem, healthcare, and port infrastructure are all building at once.
Superintendents with an industrial (petrochem/refinery) or healthcare (Texas Medical Center) portfolio command a further 10-15% premium over that standard rate — the metro's own market data states this directly, tied to ExxonMobil's Baytown expansion, the region's LNG export build-out, and Texas Medical Center's relentless multi-year build-out.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial GCs in Houston, and we verify real industrial and healthcare portfolio delivery experience rather than a line on a resume.
The story behind the premium.
Four named mega-projects, running concurrently, all competing for the same pool of experienced superintendents and PMs.
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The largest medical complex in the world, still expanding — the direct driver of the healthcare-portfolio superintendent premium.
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A real, concurrent Gulf Coast petrochemical expansion — together with the region's ongoing LNG export build-out, the direct driver of the industrial-portfolio superintendent premium.
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Heavy civil and large-scale mechanical scope requiring superintendents comfortable with port-authority coordination.
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The largest infrastructure project in TxDOT history, on a multi-decade rolling horizon — sustained demand for construction-management talent through 2030+.
What you'll actually pay — by role.
Hourly wage ranges based on BLS OEWS data for the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land MSA. The estimator row matches the metro overview's own published figure directly. Read the "notes" column for context on the derived superintendent and PM rows.
| Role | Metro wage range | Typical experience | Market notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant project manager | $34 – $43/hr | 2-5 yrs | Scaled proportionally below the derived project manager row, consistent with the ratio used on our Dallas-Fort Worth commercial-construction page |
| Project manager (commercial GC) | $49 – $62/hr | 5-10 yrs | Scaled proportionally below the derived standard-superintendent row — the hub's own commercial-construction mini names this the baseline PM comp that industrial/healthcare-portfolio superintendents command a premium above |
| Safety manager | $40 – $50/hr | 5+ yrs | Scaled to Houston's general commercial-construction premium; petrochem and healthcare work both carry real safety-compliance scope |
| Commercial construction manager / superintendent | $58 – $73/hr | 10+ yrs | Derived from the BLS national superintendent baseline applied against Houston's own published average commercial-trades premium (roughly +7%) — the hub's wage table does not publish this role directly, unlike our Dallas-Fort Worth page |
| Superintendent (industrial / healthcare portfolio) | $65 – $82/hr | 10+ yrs | The hub's own commercial-construction mini states directly that superintendents with industrial or healthcare project portfolios command a 10-15% premium over standard commercial PMs — applied here to the derived standard-superintendent row |
| Commercial estimator (5+ yrs, industrial/healthcare preferred) | $48 – $62/hr | 5+ yrs | Matches the "industrial commercial estimator" figure already published on the Houston metro overview directly (+13% over national) |
Source: BLS OEWS (Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land MSA), construction management occupational codes, projected to 2026. Actual offer rates depend on portfolio type (standard commercial vs. industrial vs. healthcare), years of experience, and project complexity.
What candidates expect. What credentials matter. What kills offers.
We don't tell prospective clients who their competitors are hiring — that's a discipline our clients value, and we'll honor it on a call. What we will share publicly: how the Houston commercial construction hiring game actually plays out in 2026. The five things below are what we tell every Houston construction client at intake.
Why industrial- and healthcare-portfolio superintendents command the largest premium
Houston's own market data states directly that superintendents with industrial or healthcare project portfolios command a 10-15% premium over standard commercial PMs — driven by ExxonMobil's Baytown expansion, the region's LNG export build-out, and Texas Medical Center's relentless multi-year build-out, all running concurrently.
Where Houston commercial construction talent comes from
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial GCs in Houston. Standard superintendents and PMs draw on a genuinely deep Gulf Coast pipeline; industrial- and healthcare-portfolio superintendents are the harder fill, competing against the region's petrochem and LNG corridor for the same experienced pool.
Credentials worth filtering for
Texas has no statewide general contractor license, so credentialing is project- and client-driven rather than regulatory. What actually separates candidates in Houston: verified petrochem/refinery or Texas Medical Center-caliber healthcare project delivery, and OSHA 30 at minimum for superintendent-level roles.
What candidates expect from a Houston construction-management offer in 2026
Standard superintendent and PM comp runs in line with Houston's broader 5-8% commercial-trades premium above national. Industrial- and healthcare-portfolio candidates expect the full 10-15% premium the market already commands — and with estimator demand running hot on the industrial side, senior estimators know their leverage too.
Realistic timelines, by role
Project managers and assistant PMs: 5-8 weeks intake to signed offer. Industrial- and healthcare-portfolio superintendents: 6-10 weeks, because that specific portfolio experience is genuinely scarce and competing offers from major petrochem and healthcare clients move fast. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The construction-management positions we fill, most often.
Across all Houston commercial construction clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months. Industrial- and healthcare-portfolio superintendents are the role in genuine short supply — everything else draws on Houston's own deep Gulf Coast pipeline.
- Assistant project manager
- Project manager (commercial GC)
- Safety manager
- Superintendent
- Superintendent (industrial / healthcare portfolio)
- Senior estimator
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Houston, see the Houston metro overview. For a deeper dive into commercial construction generally (across all 100+ markets we serve), see our Commercial Construction industry page.
The process, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market — but tuned for what works in Houston's commercial construction segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Houston construction management, we also confirm whether the role needs industrial or healthcare portfolio experience specifically, since that changes both the sourcing pool and the offer math.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Houston construction-management candidate network for standard commercial roles. For industrial- and healthcare-portfolio roles, we draw on candidates with verified petrochem, refinery, or Texas Medical Center-caliber delivery experience specifically.
- Vetted short list (week one for standard roles). Three to five candidates. We verify real project-delivery history — dollar value, portfolio type, OSHA 30 — rather than a line on a resume.
- Offer and close. Project managers and assistant PMs close in 5-8 weeks. Industrial- and healthcare-portfolio superintendents run 6-10 weeks. We help with offer math against Houston's own wage table.
Frequently asked questions.
What does a commercial construction superintendent earn in Houston in 2026?
Standard commercial construction superintendents in Houston earn roughly $58–$73/hr, in line with the metro's broader commercial-trades premium above national. Superintendents with industrial (petrochem/refinery) or healthcare (Texas Medical Center) portfolio experience command $65–$82/hr — a 10-15% premium the metro's own market data confirms directly.
Why do industrial- and healthcare-portfolio superintendents earn more in Houston?
Houston is running ExxonMobil's ~$2B Baytown expansion, the Gulf Coast LNG export build-out, and Texas Medical Center's $5B+ aggregated expansion all concurrently. The metro's own market data states superintendents with that specific portfolio experience command a 10-15% premium over standard commercial PMs.
Does Texas require a general contractor license for commercial construction work in Houston?
No. Texas has no statewide general contractor license. Credentialing for commercial construction management roles is driven by project experience and client requirements rather than state regulation.
Are Houston commercial construction wages higher than the national average?
Yes. Standard superintendents and estimators both run above the national average — the estimator premium is 13%, directly published on the metro overview. The larger premium is portfolio-specific: superintendents with industrial or healthcare project experience command 10-15% above standard commercial rates.
How fast can My Trade Talent fill a commercial construction role in Houston?
Project managers and assistant PMs: 5-8 weeks intake to signed offer. Industrial- and healthcare-portfolio superintendents: 6-10 weeks, because that specific portfolio experience is genuinely scarce. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
Hiring commercial construction talent in Houston?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate — in under 30 minutes.
My Trade Talent is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, serving commercial trades clients across the continental US — including the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land MSA.