The construction industry offers high pay with attractive benefits and a bright career path

Hong Kong's construction industry has, in recent years, been actively promoting the use of artificial intelligence and digitization. A variety of activities have been organized to inspire new blood to join the industry. In particular, the Development Bureau and the Construction Industry Council (CIC) are leading the industry into an era of innovation and upgrading conventional processes with digital construction technology, especially in Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Modular Integrated Construction (MiC), both of which greatly enhance productivity, sustainability and safety.

Bright prospects in the construction industry

Hong Kong's construction industry offers plenty of training and development opportunities, as well as clear paths for career progression. Whether it is studying construction-related courses or switching to construction jobs, CIC provides subsidies for aspiring members of the industry to develop their strengths through different pathways.

For example, students who have completed the three-year advanced diploma program can start off with a salary reaching $20,000, which is higher than the average starting salary of university graduates. After undergoing on-the-job training and taking construction-related degree courses, members of the industry can obtain a professional engineer qualification within seven years with a starting salary reaching $45,000. According to the latest 2022-2023 workers' salary released by the Hong Kong Construction Industry Federation of Trade Unions at the end of 2022, the pay for most types of construction work has seen increases with the highest pay rise reaching 12.5% and an average salary rate rise of 5.8%.

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Degree holder
Starting salary: $23K+
Around 5 years’ experience: $45K+
Around 10 years’ experience: $80-100K+

HKIC Diploma in Construction
Starting salary: $15K+
Around 5 years’ experience: $30K+
Around 10 years’ experience: $50K+

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In addition to a high salary, the scope of work is also expanding to meet the needs of the construction industry. Different fields in the industry are training local talents with the hope of boosting Hong Kong's technical skills to World No. 1 level. The following stories of three members of the construction industry show the infinite possibilities in Hong Kong.

Working together towards a smart city

Stone Chen is a young graduate from the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Hong Kong. He has participated in many large-scale projects including the West Kowloon Law Courts Building and the Hong Kong Children's Hospital. As an engineer, he hopes to use his knowledge and technical know-how to improve the working environment for his colleagues and facilities in the community.

Last September, Stone and his team showcased Hong Kong's construction projects in the international arena and won the Best Building Design award at the Autodesk Excellence Award in the United States. The award inspired him not only to explore the scope of digitalization at construction sites in Hong Kong, but also deepened his understanding of different fields of construction, keep abreast of new technologies such as data integration and carbon reduction, and promote front-line applications in construction sites.

Lifting safety standards in construction sites

In association with local scientific research institutions, CIC spearheads the introduction of innovative technologies, such as BIM, MiC and CDE (Common Data Environment ) which are essential components of technological advances that are widely used in the industry.

Lee Yuen, a graduate of the Advanced Diploma course in Building Services Supervision at the Hong Kong Institute of Construction, is working in the BIM department of a construction company. Her job includes submitting engineering 3D models, comprehensive drawings of mechanical and electrical pipelines, comprehensive structural hole drawings, and related engineering database information in accordance with contract requirements. She says that she was inspired to join the industry after watching a TV interview of a female member of the construction industry. She hopes that she can master more BIM knowledge as quickly as possible, accumulate more work experience and become a professional in her own right.

Promoting a safe working environment

Crystal Kwong works in construction sites as a safety officer. Having taken a nursing course previously, she has mastered the concept of "foresight". Crystal believes that the top priority for a safety officer is to minimize or eliminate any chance of harm so as to ensure the safety of construction workers. By applying her professional knowledge, organizing ability and personal charisma, she has managed to win the honor of 2020 Construction Industry Safety Girls Champion, and she is committed to educating and promoting Hong Kong’s construction site culture.

With the commencement of an increasing number of large-scale infrastructure projects, a lot of new blood has been attracted to join the industry involving a variety of job genres and a large number of people. Crystal emphasizes that it is the responsibility of the entire construction team to improve the safety of the construction site. As each process is closely linked, even a slight shortfall can pose a safety hazard. Therefore, if any construction worker spots a potential danger on the construction site, they need to remind each other. It is all part of the spirit of mutual caring.

Towards a new milestone in digitalization

The construction industry has made a significant contribution towards Hong Kong becoming an internationally renowned city. Thanks to the solid foundation laid by the construction industry, Hong Kong's economy and society have made remarkable achievements, and are well placed for future developments. In recent years, the government has formulated Construction Industry 2.0 to maintain and strengthen Hong Kong's leading position in construction while promoting the industry's sustainable development and long-term growth. It is hoped that people from all walks of life can support innovative construction technology, and create a safe construction environment together.

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