Building Supervisors: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of building supervisors about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for building supervisors to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of building supervisors expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for building supervisors.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Building Supervisors?
Do building supervisors need a degree? What kind of experience do building supervisors typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for building supervisors to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Building Supervisors
Jobs Postings for Building Supervisors By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 50,090 (43%)
- No Education Listed: 23,984 (21%)
- Master's degree: 19,746 (17%)
- High School or GED: 16,235 (14%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 5,415 (5%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of building supervisors. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 43% of positions. In 21% of job listings no education level was listed and in 17% of postings a master's degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Building Supervisors
Jobs Postings for Building Supervisors By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 7,723 (12%)
- 2-3 Years: 18,740 (28%)
- 4-6 Years: 22,202 (34%)
- 7-9 Years: 8,746 (13%)
- 10+ Years: 8,684 (13%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for building supervisors. In 34% of job postings for Building Supervisors, employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience. In 28% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 7-9 years of experience was sought in 13% of job postings for building supervisors.
What Kind of Degree Do Building Supervisors Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for building supervisors, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 17 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective building supervisors, and in 2021 a total of 173,173 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective building supervisors.
Top Degree Programs for Building Supervisors
Top 5 Degree Programs for Building Supervisors (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General. | 55,970 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management. | 31,252 |
| Public Health, General. | 22,677 |
| Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General. | 18,408 |
| Organizational Leadership. | 15,128 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General. | 55,970 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management. | 31,252 |
| Public Health, General. | 22,677 |
| Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General. | 18,408 |
| Organizational Leadership. | 15,128 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other. | 4,791 |
| Public Health Education and Promotion. | 4,550 |
| Project Management. | 4,155 |
| Medical Office Management/Administration. | 3,543 |
| Public Health, Other. | 3,404 |
| Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling. | 2,516 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other. | 2,200 |
| Accounting and Business/Management. | 1,537 |
| Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist. | 1,099 |
| Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions and Contracts Management. | 1,058 |
| Accounting and Related Services, Other. | 814 |
| Veterinary Office Management/Administration. | 71 |
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What Skills Do Building Supervisors Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by building supervisors to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for building supervisors, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Building Supervisors
Based on 94,242 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Building Supervisors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 18,054 | 19% |
| Office Management | 15,775 | 17% |
| Project Management | 15,586 | 17% |
| Finance | 14,149 | 15% |
| Marketing | 11,723 | 12% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Building Supervisors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Management | 46,388 | 49% |
| Communications | 46,137 | 49% |
| Operations | 37,578 | 40% |
| Leadership | 34,223 | 36% |
| Planning | 24,364 | 26% |
Based on 94,242 job postings related to building supervisors, accounting was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 19% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for office management, project management, finance, marketing and billing were also highly sought.
As for common skills, management was the most desired skill found in job postings for building supervisors, followed by communications, operations, leadership, planning and customer service.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 18,054 | 19% |
| Office Management | 15,775 | 17% |
| Project Management | 15,586 | 17% |
| Finance | 14,149 | 15% |
| Marketing | 11,723 | 12% |
| Billing | 11,511 | 12% |
| Auditing | 10,361 | 11% |
| Accounts Receivable | 9,164 | 10% |
| Accounts Payable | 9,130 | 10% |
| Invoicing | 8,310 | 9% |
| Administrative Support | 6,768 | 7% |
| Purchasing | 6,141 | 7% |
| Data Analysis | 6,019 | 6% |
| Medicaid | 5,923 | 6% |
| Financial Statements | 5,581 | 6% |
| Process Improvement | 5,473 | 6% |
| Workflow Management | 5,449 | 6% |
| Procurement | 5,271 | 6% |
| Performance Management | 5,177 | 5% |
| Medicare | 5,097 | 5% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Management | 46,388 | 49% |
| Communications | 46,137 | 49% |
| Operations | 37,578 | 40% |
| Leadership | 34,223 | 36% |
| Planning | 24,364 | 26% |
| Customer Service | 23,401 | 25% |
| Writing | 18,369 | 19% |
| Problem Solving | 18,208 | 19% |
| Microsoft Excel | 15,884 | 17% |
| Coordinating | 15,751 | 17% |
| Microsoft Office | 15,304 | 16% |
| Detail Oriented | 14,588 | 15% |
| Research | 14,378 | 15% |
| Presentations | 13,698 | 15% |
| Sales | 12,992 | 14% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 11,976 | 13% |
| Budgeting | 11,698 | 12% |
| Organizational Skills | 10,785 | 11% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 10,672 | 11% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 10,307 | 11% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about building supervisors? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for building supervisors.
What do building supervisors do?
How much do building supervisors make?
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