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Construction foreman vs project manager

The differences between construction foremen and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, 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 project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.

Construction foreman vs project manager overview

Construction ForemanProject Manager
Yearly salary$57,121$91,578
Hourly rate$27.46$44.03
Growth rate-3%8%
Number of jobs40,621167,116
Job satisfaction-4.17
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 33%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4647
Years of experience--

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 project manager do?

Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.

Construction foreman vs project manager salary

Construction foremen and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Construction ForemanProject Manager
Average salary$57,121$91,578
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $77,000Between $64,000 And $129,000
Highest paying CityHartford, CTSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companyRepsol Energy North America CorporationThe Citadel
Best paying industryProfessionalTechnology

Differences between construction foreman and project manager education

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

Construction ForemanProject Manager
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 33%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college-University of Pennsylvania

Construction foreman vs project manager demographics

Here are the differences between construction foremen' and project managers' demographics:

Construction ForemanProject Manager
Average age4647
Gender ratioMale, 97.5% Female, 2.5%Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1%
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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage2%10%

Differences between construction foreman and project manager 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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Project manager example responsibilities.

  • Schedule and manage the GCP audit process.
  • Define, develop and manage metrics and KPIs systems for new product business group.
  • Manage the application process for the FDA medical device, minority and small business certifications.
  • Manage multiple projects and resources simultaneously while mentoring, coaching and implementing best practices, SOX and HIPAA compliance standards.
  • Lead teams using the Informatica ETL tool for the design and development of multiple financial and risk enterprise data warehouses.
  • Administer and manage Salesforce requirements.
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Construction foreman vs project manager skills

Common construction foreman skills
  • Work Ethic, 10%
  • CDL, 10%
  • OSHA, 10%
  • Hand Tools, 5%
  • Construction Equipment, 5%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Common project manager skills
  • Project Management, 23%
  • Project Scope, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Infrastructure, 5%
  • Status Reports, 4%
  • Risk Management, 3%

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