Foreman job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

15

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$79,920

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (O*NET-SOC 47-1011.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Inspect work progress, equipment, or construction sites to verify safety or to ensure that specifications are met. importance 4.5 of 5
2. Read specifications, such as blueprints, to determine construction requirements or to plan procedures. importance 4.4 of 5
3. Supervise, coordinate, or schedule the activities of construction or extractive workers. importance 4.4 of 5
4. Assign work to employees, based on material or worker requirements of specific jobs. importance 4.2 of 5
5. Coordinate work activities with other construction project activities. importance 4.2 of 5
6. Estimate material or worker requirements to complete jobs. importance 4.1 of 5
7. Analyze worker or production problems and recommend solutions, such as improving production methods or implementing motivational plans. importance 4.1 of 5
8. Order or requisition materials or supplies. importance 4.0 of 5
9. Train workers in construction methods, operation of equipment, safety procedures, or company policies. importance 4.0 of 5
10. Locate, measure, and mark site locations or placement of structures or equipment, using measuring and marking equipment. importance 3.9 of 5
11. Confer with managerial or technical personnel, other departments, or contractors to resolve problems or to coordinate activities. importance 3.9 of 5
12. Arrange for repairs of equipment or machinery. importance 3.8 of 5
13. Provide assistance to workers engaged in construction or extraction activities, using hand tools or other equipment. importance 3.8 of 5
14. Record information, such as personnel, production, or operational data on specified forms or reports. importance 3.6 of 5
15. Suggest or initiate personnel actions, such as promotions, transfers, or hires. importance 3.4 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information and Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others.

Knowledge areas: Administration and Management, Building and Construction, Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Office software, Autodesk AutoCAD, Procore software, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists 5 years or more of work experience in a related occupation as typical.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a foreman.

The most common answer among foremen surveyed by O*NET is a post-secondary certificate (27%).

Job title: Foreman
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Foreman.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Inspect work progress, equipment, or construction sites to verify safety or to ensure that specifications are met.
- Read specifications, such as blueprints, to determine construction requirements or to plan procedures.
- Supervise, coordinate, or schedule the activities of construction or extractive workers.
- Assign work to employees, based on material or worker requirements of specific jobs.
- Coordinate work activities with other construction project activities.
- Estimate material or worker requirements to complete jobs.
- Analyze worker or production problems and recommend solutions, such as improving production methods or implementing motivational plans.
- Order or requisition materials or supplies.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists 5 years or more in a related occupation as typical; adjust to this role]
- Strength in coordination, active listening and speaking
- Working knowledge of Administration and Management and Building and Construction
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Office software or Autodesk AutoCAD]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $79,920 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $38.42. BLS estimates about 812,210 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 67,000 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full foreman salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real foreman posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Inspect work progress, equipment, or construction sites to verify…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only foreman work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (coordination and active listening); foreman interview questions turns them into practice questions.