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Construction foreman vs construction superintendent

The differences between construction foremen and construction superintendents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a construction foreman, becoming a construction superintendent takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a construction superintendent has an average salary of $87,486, which is higher than the $57,121 average annual salary of a construction foreman.

The top three skills for a construction foreman include work ethic, CDL and OSHA. The most important skills for a construction superintendent are OSHA, construction management, and project management.

Construction foreman vs construction superintendent overview

Construction ForemanConstruction Superintendent
Yearly salary$57,121$87,486
Hourly rate$27.46$42.06
Growth rate-3%8%
Number of jobs40,62134,822
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 33%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4646
Years of experience-8

What does a construction foreman do?

A construction foreman is responsible for overseeing construction operations and determining the construction progress by monitoring plans and schedules. A construction foreman allocates tasks to the workers and ensures that everyone adheres to the safety guidelines and regulations, preventing potential hazards in the work area and avoiding construction delays. They also identify cost-reduction opportunities by handling negotiation with trusted suppliers and third-party vendors. A construction foreman inspects the quality of materials, including the equipment and machinery, allocates adequate resources for production, and resolves issues immediately.

What does a construction superintendent do?

A construction superintendent's role is to oversee all construction plans and operations, ensuring quality completion within a specified timeframe. Some of their responsibilities are to inspect all sites, coordinate with contractors and engineers, manage the budget and expenditure, purchase necessary materials and equipment, and make schedules. Aside from producing daily progress reports, a construction superintendent also addresses issues and concerns should there be any. Furthermore, they must implement all safety regulations and policies to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

Construction foreman vs construction superintendent salary

Construction foremen and construction superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.

Construction ForemanConstruction Superintendent
Average salary$57,121$87,486
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $77,000Between $61,000 And $123,000
Highest paying CityHartford, CTSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkHawaii
Best paying companyRepsol Energy North America CorporationColdwell Banker Morris Real Estate
Best paying industryProfessionalEnergy

Differences between construction foreman and construction superintendent education

There are a few differences between a construction foreman and a construction superintendent in terms of educational background:

Construction ForemanConstruction Superintendent
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 33%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college-California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Construction foreman vs construction superintendent demographics

Here are the differences between construction foremen' and construction superintendents' demographics:

Construction ForemanConstruction Superintendent
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 97.5% Female, 2.5%Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 1.5% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage2%4%

Differences between construction foreman and construction superintendent duties and responsibilities

Construction foreman example 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.
  • Operate power saws, planers, jointers, routers and pneumatic equipment.
  • Perform duties associate with building construction and home improvements daily while following all OSHA safety regulations.
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Construction superintendent example responsibilities.

  • Manage crew on apartment, condo and town-home remodel and restoration projects.
  • Manage the MEP coordination meetings, as well as performing mechanical superintendent duties.
  • Manage the supervising of construction and installation of HVAC restoration in historical government hospital buildings.
  • Manage complex logistics, including procuring materials and navigating space constraints, to successfully complete project amid concurrent construction of building.
  • Communicate with EOR/Architect/Construction PM/Superintendent/fab shop on all shop drawings as needed to resolve RFI's and change orders.
  • Avoid disputes & claims through comprehensive proposals, email correspondence, RFI's, & daily reporting.
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Construction foreman vs construction superintendent skills

Common construction foreman skills
  • Work Ethic, 10%
  • CDL, 10%
  • OSHA, 10%
  • Hand Tools, 5%
  • Construction Equipment, 5%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Common construction superintendent skills
  • OSHA, 13%
  • Construction Management, 8%
  • Project Management, 6%
  • Construction Sites, 5%
  • Safety Program, 5%
  • Quality Standards, 5%

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