How To Become A Construction Foreman: What It Is and Career Path

What is a construction foreman and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Neil Opfer

The construction foreman is a point of contact between the construction workers and supervisors. The foreman coordinates the tasks for the day. You will create schedules for workers by assigning tasks to the construction workers and oversee the quality of the site. You will manage the budget of the construction to make sure that the project stays under budget. In addition, you will make sure you report the progress of the project to superiors. Similarly, you will solve disputes between workers by making sure there is a good relationship between them.

The construction foreman must be able to solve disputes between workers. The ability to organize a work schedule is important because you will organize schedules for the project. Excellent communication skills, both verbally and written, are important because you will relate with workers and superiors at work. You must have a deep knowledge of the construction industry and processes. You must also be able to read construction drawings and blueprints. With this, you will earn an average of $51,634 a year.

What general advice would you give to a construction foreman?

Neil Opfer

Assoc. Professor - UNLV Civil & Environmental Engineering & Construction Department, Website

Remember that in a CM Program you have spent 4 years of your life (or more) studying books and learning the "theory of construction." But this is the start of your education and not the end. The best quote here (not from me) is "Success is a journey, not a destination." Sadly I have classmates that I graduated with years ago who, once they graduated, never cracked a book. Also remember that construction in many respects is an incredibly-varied field and you will, perhaps if working for a GC or a CM firm, never know as much as that electrician or plumber knows about their craft or that trade contractor knows about their specialty. But insofar as possible you need to learn and absorb as much as possible about these other areas. Otherwise you'll lead a life of ignorance and designers and contractors will, sadly, take advantage of your ignorance. When I was in college (1974), my Dorm President told me, "Everyone is ignorant about something but the stupid person works at being ignorant." Don't work at being ignorant. Also, respect everyone on the job from laborer, carpenter, on up because you can learn something from everyone along the way in your career. You, remember, are lucky in that as a college grad you're in the 37% or so of the U.S. population with a college degree but CM is a STEM field because of the math, physics, and construction-science coursework you take. Only 18% of the U.S. population have STEM degrees so you're in even a more select field with your technical education. But those on the construction site who did not have an opportunity to go to college may resent you or they've had bad experiences with college grads who "lorded over them" the fact that they were a college grad and the craft personnel on the job were not. Advice to a new college graduate in CM would be to remember (not original with me but a great axiom) that (1) you are hired for your technical skills, (2) promoted for your leadership/managerial skills, and (3) fired for your lack of people skills. Do a good job at whatever you do and look for opportunities to improve processes when possible. Realize that as a new grad you'll often get the jobs that more senior people don't want. Also, realize that your job is partly "paying your dues" to get the chance at more interesting jobs in the future. Learn to network with others in your firm and those at other firms including being involved in professional associations and civic/charitable work. Ensure that your supervisors know the extras (prof associations, civic work) you are doing outside of work. Finally the old adage of a "sound mind in a sound body" means to continually improve yourself on both a mental and a physical basis.

ScoreConstruction ForemanUS Average

Salary

4.5

Avg. Salary $57,121

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.10%

Asian 1.46%

Black or African American 5.90%

Hispanic or Latino 21.77%

Unknown 3.91%

White 65.86%

Gender

female 2.47%

male 97.53%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a construction foreman

Explore construction foreman education requirements

Most common construction foreman degrees

High School Diploma

32.8 %

Bachelor's

30.1 %

Associate

23.5 %

Start to develop specific construction foreman skills

Skills	Percentages
Work Ethic	10.32%
CDL	10.25%
OSHA	9.62%
Hand Tools	5.13%
Construction Equipment	4.61%

Complete relevant construction foreman training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New construction foremen learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a construction foreman based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real construction foreman resumes.

Gain additional construction foreman certifications

Construction foreman certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific construction foreman certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for construction foremen include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).

More About Certifications

Research construction foreman duties and responsibilities

Manage installation of large scale CCTV and delay exiting systems.
Manage daily oversight of moon bounce business, taking stock of inventory and ensuring delivery to customers.
Manage different crews in delegating responsibilities to other workers for windows and curtain wall installations.
Supervise subcontractors and conduct onsite inspections to ensure exceptional project outcomes achieve on-time and within budget.

Prepare your construction foreman resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your construction foreman resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a construction foreman resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable construction foreman resume templates

Build a professional construction foreman resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your construction foreman resume.