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What does a crew foreman do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a crew foreman do

A crew foreman coordinates the daily activities in a construction site to ensure that operations adhere to deadlines, budgets, and quality standards. They serve as the point of contact for supervisors, clients, and construction workers. They are also in charge of managing construction schedules, conducting assessments and evaluations, hiring staff, training staff, monitoring supplies, and ordering materials. Additionally, they must enforce safety regulations.

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Crew foreman responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real crew foreman resumes:

  • Manage construction of sheet metal installation and HVAC systems of commercial facilities including construction of storefronts and mechanical rooms.
  • Vacuum, shampoo and spot clean carpets and furniture; wash windows.
  • Install all types of roofing, siding, fascia, windows, drywall ,
  • Earn CDL license and operate machinery to assist in building the barns and sheds.
  • Work on lighting retrofit projects replacing lamps and wiring ballasts to improve energy efficiency.
  • Operate excavator, bulldozer, backhoe, and wheel loader, on a pipe crew.
  • Prune trees, shrubs and hedges, weed whack various areas to complete mowing jobs.
  • Operate post driver, supervise crew of 8 and assign work task, and operate backhoe.
  • Use of GPS RTK on construction staking, boundaries, topographies, and setting photo controls.
  • Install and fabricate the compressors, evaporators, various temperature and humidity control components and fuses.
  • Act as supervisor for GPS plotting and boundary calculations for BLM payments to outside agency fire crews.
  • Tear down walls, ceilings, stairs, and move trash piles/recycling into designated areas using a bobcat.
  • Run loader, bobcat, use trencher, do site grading, read landscape blueprints, assist with landscape irrigation installation.
  • Submit payroll expenses to finance department
  • Operate a variety of equipment under OSHA guidelines

Crew foreman skills and personality traits

We calculated that 22% of Crew Foremen are proficient in CDL, Customer Service, and Hand Tools. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Detail oriented, and Listening skills.

We break down the percentage of Crew Foremen that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • CDL, 22%

    License Commercial Drivers License (CDL) with Tank Vehicle and Hazardous Materials Endorsements and Double/Triple Endorsement

  • Customer Service, 12%

    Provided professional customer service and responded to inquiries regarding services and products offered.

  • Hand Tools, 11%

    Inspected, cleaned maintained and repaired equipment, using mechanics' hand tools, or reported malfunctions to supervisors.

  • Work Ethic, 9%

    Exhibited extraordinary work ethic and attention to detail.

  • OSHA, 8%

    Provided safety orientation and represented company for adherence to OSHA compliance to ensure safe practices were implemented on location.

  • Good Communication, 5%

    Team player with good communication skills, both verbal and written.

Common skills that a crew foreman uses to do their job include "cdl," "customer service," and "hand tools." You can find details on the most important crew foreman responsibilities below.

Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a crew foreman to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what crew foremen do because "forest and conservation workers must convey information to foresters and conservation scientists and other workers." Additionally, a crew foreman resume shows how crew foremen use communication skills: "terminated cat5e six pair for data and telephones also terminated fiber optic cables at field end and in communication rooms. "

Detail oriented. Many crew foreman duties rely on detail oriented. "forest and conservation workers must observe gauges, dials, and other indicators to ensure that equipment works properly," so a crew foreman will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways crew foreman responsibilities rely on detail oriented: "exhibited extraordinary work ethic and attention to detail. "

Listening skills. crew foremen are also known for listening skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to crew foreman responsibilities, because "forest and conservation workers must understand the instructions they receive before performing tasks." A crew foreman resume example shows how listening skills is used in the workplace: "communicated with customers daily to ensure customer satisfaction supervised up to fifteen employees. "

Physical stamina. crew foreman responsibilities often require "physical stamina." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "forest and conservation workers perform a variety of strenuous tasks." This resume example shows what crew foremen do with physical stamina on a typical day: "maintained all physical records for the hvac department. "

See the full list of crew foreman skills

The three companies that hire the most crew foremans are:

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Compare different crew foremen

Crew foreman vs. Assistant superintendent

In a construction setting, an assistant superintendent is primarily in charge of supervising workers to ensure that the construction project's completion will be within the expected time and allotted budget. Most of their responsibilities revolve around assisting the superintendent with their tasks, creating schedules, and meeting with clients. Furthermore, an assistant superintendent must also coordinate with all construction workers and build rapport with them, all while implementing the safety policies and standards for a safe and productive work environment.

We looked at the average crew foreman salary and compared it with the wages of an assistant superintendent. Generally speaking, assistant superintendents are paid $25,355 higher than crew foremen per year.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between crew foremen and assistant superintendents are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like customer service, osha, and equipment operation.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a crew foreman are more likely to require skills like "cdl," "hand tools," "work ethic," and "good communication." On the other hand, a job as an assistant superintendent requires skills like "quality standards," "construction management," "safety standards," and "project management." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Assistant superintendents really shine in the professional industry with an average salary of $76,938. Comparatively, crew foremen tend to make the most money in the utilities industry with an average salary of $53,154.On average, assistant superintendents reach higher levels of education than crew foremen. Assistant superintendents are 5.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Crew foreman vs. Equipment operator

Equipment operators are employees who are assigned to work on specific company equipment. They are skilled workers trained to handle all aspects of the particular equipment, from basic operating to repairing. They use the equipment and ensure that safety standards are being followed. Aside from managing the equipment, they are also in charge of repairs and maintenance. They are responsible for ensuring that the machine works properly, troubleshooting if there are challenges encountered, and repairing any problems. Equipment operators are reliable, trustworthy, and attentive.

On average, equipment operators earn a $20,190 lower salary than crew foremen a year.A few skills overlap for crew foremen and equipment operators. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "cdl," "customer service," and "hand tools. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, crew foreman responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "good communication," "bucket truck," "construction projects," and "safety equipment." Meanwhile, an equipment operator has duties that require skills in areas such as "loaders," "asphalt," "safety rules," and "math." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Equipment operators may earn a lower salary than crew foremen, but equipment operators earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $38,765. On the other hand, crew foremen receive higher pay in the utilities industry, where they earn an average salary of $53,154.In general, equipment operators achieve similar levels of education than crew foremen. They're 0.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Crew foreman vs. Field supervisor

Field supervisors are referred to as the generals for various industries such as engineering, construction, and energy. These supervisors oversee and manage field staff's performance. Their responsibilities include the training and supervision of their staff members for significant guidance. Supervisors should be equipped with communication skills, analysis, and participation. They take charge of projects involving construction, building and landscape maintenance, and engineering. Also, they protect a facility against vandalism and theft.

On average, field supervisors earn lower salaries than crew foremen, with a $9,035 difference per year.By looking over several crew foremen and field supervisors resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "cdl," "customer service," and "osha." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, crew foremen are more likely to have skills like "hand tools," "work ethic," "good communication," and "equipment operation." But a field supervisor is more likely to have skills like "quality standards," "emergency situations," "payroll," and "direct supervision."

Field supervisors make a very good living in the energy industry with an average annual salary of $54,470. On the other hand, crew foremen are paid the highest salary in the utilities industry, with average annual pay of $53,154.field supervisors typically earn similar educational levels compared to crew foremen. Specifically, they're 4.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Crew foreman vs. House supervisor

A house supervisor is responsible for supporting the medical facilities' operations on behalf of the unit management. House supervisors ensure that the medical staff provides the highest quality care services for the patients by responding to their inquiries and concerns and assisting their medical needs. They also handle staffing management, recruiting and training new employees, and monitoring the adequacy of staff during every shift. A house supervisor performs administrative and clerical duties as needed, including budgeting and creating financial reports, and monitoring medical inventories.

House supervisors average a higher salary than the annual salary of crew foremen. The difference is about $9,100 per year.While both crew foremen and house supervisors complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like customer service, work ethic, and cpr, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between crew foremen and house supervisors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a crew foreman might have more use for skills like "cdl," "hand tools," "osha," and "good communication." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of house supervisors require skills like "patients," "acls," "acute care," and "patient flow. "

The health care industry tends to pay the highest salaries for house supervisors, with average annual pay of $68,110. Comparatively, the highest crew foreman annual salary comes from the utilities industry.In general, house supervisors hold higher degree levels compared to crew foremen. House supervisors are 7.4% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of crew foreman

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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