Commercial construction recruiters serving Modesto.
Standard Modesto superintendents run a modest premium above national. Superintendents with healthcare delivery experience are the exception - Sutter Health's cancer center needs that profile specifically.
A modest baseline premium, plus the largest capital project in the market's recent history.
Standard commercial construction superintendents and estimators in Modesto run a modest premium above the national average - 3% and 5% respectively, reflecting California's general cost of labor.
Superintendents with healthcare delivery experience are the exception. The metro's own data names this directly: Sutter Health's $380M Advanced Cancer Center and Care Complex is the largest capital project in Modesto's recent history.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial GCs in Modesto, and we verify real occupied-hospital, cancer-center delivery experience rather than a line on a resume.
The story behind the scarcity.
A single $380M cancer center, the largest project this market has seen in years.
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A four-story, 165,000 sq ft facility on the Memorial Medical Center campus - cancer treatment, a 4-OR ambulatory surgery center, and 50+ outpatient exam rooms. Groundbreak January 2026, completion by 2029 - the largest capital project in the market's recent history and the direct driver of the medical gas plumber wage premium this page borrows from.
What you'll actually pay - by role.
Hourly wage ranges based on BLS OEWS data for the Modesto MSA. The superintendent and estimator rows both match the metro overview's own published figures directly. Read the "notes" column for context on the derived healthcare premium. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Construction Salary Guide.
| 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) | $47 – $60/hr | 5-10 yrs | Scaled proportionally below the published superintendent row, consistent with the ratio used on our Dallas-Fort Worth commercial-construction page |
| Safety manager | $39 – $49/hr | 5+ yrs | Scaled to Modesto's general commercial-construction wage baseline; occupied-hospital cancer-center construction carries elevated infection-control safety scope |
| Commercial construction manager / superintendent | $55 – $70/hr | 10+ yrs | Matches the commercial construction superintendent figure already published on the Modesto metro overview directly (+3% over national) |
| Superintendent (healthcare delivery portfolio) | $61 – $77/hr | 10+ yrs | A +10% derived premium over the published standard-superintendent row, borrowed from the hub's own medical gas certified plumber wage row - the hub's own text calls this the standout specialty in the metro, tied to Sutter Health's $380M Advanced Cancer Center and Care Complex |
| Commercial estimator (5+ yrs) | $44 – $57/hr | 5+ yrs | Matches the commercial estimator figure already published on the Modesto metro overview directly (+5% over national) |
Source: BLS OEWS (Modesto MSA), construction management occupational codes, projected to 2026. Actual offer rates depend on portfolio type (standard commercial 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 Modesto commercial construction hiring game actually plays out in 2026. The five things below are what we tell every Modesto construction client at intake.
Why healthcare delivery experience is the scarcest credential
Modesto's own market data names superintendents with healthcare delivery experience as the clear premium hire against the largest capital project in this market's recent history.
Where Modesto commercial construction talent comes from
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial GCs in Modesto. Standard superintendents and PMs draw on a genuinely available regional pipeline priced at a modest premium above national. Healthcare-portfolio superintendents are the harder fill, tied to Sutter Health's cancer center specifically.
Credentials worth filtering for
California licenses contractors statewide through the CSLB, with C-10 (electrical), C-36 (plumbing), and C-20 (HVAC) specialty classifications, required for any project of $1,000 or more since Assembly Bill 2622 (January 2025). What actually separates candidates in Modesto: verified occupied-hospital, cancer-center delivery experience.
What candidates expect from a Modesto construction-management offer in 2026
Standard superintendent comp runs about 3% above national and estimator comp about 5% above, reflecting California's general cost of labor. Healthcare-portfolio candidates expect a real premium given the specialized experience Sutter Health's cancer center needs.
Realistic timelines, by role
Project managers and assistant PMs: 4-6 weeks intake to signed offer for conventional roles. Healthcare-portfolio superintendents run longer, typically 6-8 weeks, because Sutter Health's $380M cancer center is drawing on a specialized labor pool ahead of its 2029 completion. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The construction-management positions we fill, most often.
Across all Modesto commercial construction clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months. Healthcare-portfolio superintendents are the role in genuine short supply - everything else draws on Modesto's own available regional pipeline.
- Assistant project manager
- Project manager (commercial GC)
- Safety manager
- Superintendent
- Superintendent (healthcare delivery portfolio)
- Senior estimator
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Modesto, see the Modesto metro overview. To learn more about commercial construction generally (across all 100+ markets we serve), see our Commercial Construction industry page.
How we recruit commercial construction in Modesto, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Modesto's commercial construction segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Modesto construction management, we also confirm whether the role needs healthcare delivery experience specifically, since that changes both the sourcing pool and the offer math.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Modesto construction-management candidate network for standard roles. For healthcare-portfolio roles, we draw on candidates with verified occupied-hospital, cancer-center 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 4-6 weeks. Healthcare-portfolio superintendents run longer, typically 6-8 weeks. We help with offer math against Modesto's own wage table.
Modesto runs 20% fewer commercial construction workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Construction Managers (nearest published occupation for this trade). Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Modesto's commercial construction market compares
In 2023 the Modesto metro had 67 commercial and institutional building contractors (counted by business location), with about 775 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $80,057, 17% below the national average of $96,510 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 2.4% over the year, a little behind the 5.2% national increase. The number of these employers rose 4.7%, more firms competing for the same crews. That works out to 12 per 100,000 residents against 17 nationally. Fewer local employers means experienced people are easier to identify, but many work for firms based outside the metro. These firms account for 7.3% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Modesto ranks 90th for headcount, 23rd for median pay and 68th for concentration for construction managers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 10,120 | $131,680 | 0.66 | 1,659 |
| San Francisco | 5,160 | $166,030 | 0.89 | 586 |
| San Diego | 3,800 | $133,210 | 1.01 | 480 |
| Riverside | 3,450 | $126,040 | 0.82 | 490 |
| Sacramento | 2,760 | $129,440 | 1.04 | 352 |
| San Jose | 1,850 | $163,040 | 0.67 | 239 |
| Fresno | 910 | $118,500 | 0.78 | 117 |
| Bakersfield | 720 | $127,890 | 0.87 | 79 |
| Stockton | 560 | $120,210 | 0.79 | 67 |
| Modesto | 380 | $125,800 | 0.80 | 67 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial construction employers in Modesto, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Modesto metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Modesto's commercial construction market has changed since 2018.
The number of commercial and institutional building contractors in Modesto rose from 64 in 2018 to 67 in 2023, up 5%, behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 7%, to about 775 people. Average annual pay there went from $58,574 to $80,057 (+37%), faster than the 24% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial and institutional building contractors: business locations | 64 | 67 | +5% |
| Commercial and institutional building contractors: employment | 725 | 775 | +7% |
| Commercial and institutional building contractors: average annual pay | $58,574 | $80,057 | +37% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Frequently asked — commercial construction hiring in Modesto.
Why is healthcare delivery experience the scarcest hire in Modesto?
Sutter Health broke ground in January 2026 on a $380M, four-story, 165,000 sq ft Advanced Cancer Center and Care Complex - the largest capital project in the market's recent history. That project is why medical gas certified plumbers run about 10% above national - the metro's own data calls this the standout specialty in the market.
Does California require a general contractor license for commercial construction work in Modesto?
Yes - California licenses contractors statewide through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), with C-10 (electrical), C-36 (plumbing), and C-20 (HVAC) specialty classifications, required for any project of $1,000 or more since AB 2622 (January 2025).
Are Modesto commercial construction wages higher than the national average?
Yes, broadly - superintendents run about 3% above national and estimators about 5% above, reflecting California's general cost of labor. The largest premium is portfolio-specific: healthcare-portfolio superintendents command a real premium above the standard rate.
What do construction laborers earn in Modesto?
BLS puts the Modesto median for construction laborers at $60,630 a year, 29% above the $47,120 national median. That ranks 10th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $39,380 at the 10th percentile against $81,840 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. Within California, San Francisco pays more, at $72,610.
Is it hard to hire construction laborers in Modesto?
Yes. Modesto has 22% fewer construction laborers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 1,070 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 67 commercial and institutional building contractors here average about 12 employees per location.
Which commercial construction roles pay the most in Modesto?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Modesto, a $125,800 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Heavy Equipment Operator at $90,560, 28% below it. Construction Laborer is the lowest-paid field role at $60,630. Relative to national pay, Heavy Equipment Operator is the strongest-paying role here (51% above).
How many commercial and institutional building contractors operate in Modesto?
BLS counted 67 commercial and institutional building contractors in Modesto in 2023, employing about 775 people between them. Up from 64 in 2018, a 5% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 12 people per location. They pay an average of $80,057, 17% below the $96,510 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Modesto for construction laborers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Stockton (27 miles, about 1,470, $57,450 median), San Jose (53 miles, about 4,420, $68,470 median) and Sacramento (71 miles, about 7,390, $60,560 median). San Jose has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. San Jose pays 13% more, which is where Modesto employers tend to lose people.
Hiring commercial construction talent in Modesto?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you wages, timeline, and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.