How can I get the most pay during my career in construction?

As construction recruiters we see resumes of talent with earnings at all levels. What we have found is the quickest way for a construction job seeker to advance their pay in construction is to make a job move. Rarely will you be able to negotiate a pay increase with your present firm for the same pay increase as with a job move. Many construction job seekers can achieve up to a 15% pay increase when making a job move, and some as high as a 30% increase. Internal pay raises are usually under 5%.

Of course a construction job seeker should not "job hop" too often since construction employers frown on resumes that reflect job instability and often will not even consider a job seeker who has moved jobs too often (more than 5 job moves in a 20 years period).