How To Become An Electrical Foreman: What It Is and Career Path

What is an electrical foreman and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Ronald Widdoss

An electrical foreman is a supervisory electrician who is tasked with overseeing the planning and execution of large electrical projects. He/She supervises power linemen and electricians in installing, repairing, and maintaining electrical power lines or systems. He/She conducts regular inspections of the construction site to ensure materials and supplies are available. Besides that, he/she enforces safety regulations and working conditions among the employees to avoid hazards. Furthermore, he/she oversees customer relations, material management, and quality control.

To become an electrical foreman, you need a high school diploma or its equivalent. You must have completed an apprenticeship program and be familiar with local electrical codes. Additionally, you may undergo on-the-job training. Four to seven years of work experience and a license in an area of expertise are also required. Relevant skills are maths, analytical, and communication skills. An electrical foreman's salary ranges from $52,000 to $105,000, with an average of $73,809 yearly.

What general advice would you give to an Electrical Foreman?

Ronald Widdoss

Be a sponge. Learn all you can and prove to your employer you can be taught and that your up for the challenge.

ScoreElectrical ForemanUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $50,996

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.07%

Asian 1.43%

Black or African American 5.47%

Hispanic or Latino 22.72%

Unknown 3.87%

White 65.44%

Gender

female 2.91%

male 97.09%

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 an electrical foreman

Explore electrical foreman education requirements

Most common electrical foreman degrees

High School Diploma

34.0 %

Associate

26.6 %

Bachelor's

17.2 %

Start to develop specific electrical foreman skills

Skills	Percentages
NEC	8.61%
OSHA	7.59%
Electrical Systems	6.38%
Work Ethic	5.59%
Transformers	5.14%

Complete relevant electrical foreman training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New electrical 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 an electrical foreman based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real electrical foreman resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming an licensed electrical foreman usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed electrical foreman in most of states. 25 states require electrical foremen to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License Url
Alabama	-	State exam required	Licensed Journeyman Electrician
Alaska	-	State exam required	Electrical Worker
Arkansas	-	Third-party exam required	Journeyman Electrician
Colorado	-	State exam required	Journeyman Electrician
Hawaii	Degree required	State exam required	Electrician

Gain additional electrical foreman certifications

Electrical 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 electrical foreman certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for electrical foremen include OSHA Safety Certificate and Electrical Technician Certification.

More About Certifications

Research electrical foreman duties and responsibilities

Manage and supervise day to day duties of a small crew for upgrades to the DCS and PLC infrastructure system.
Remove, analyze, identify issue install properly working pressure transducers, effectively accomplishing priorities to go underway.
Provide work orders for employees and order all electrical components by use of Maximo CMMS system.
Connect wiring to motor controls, switches, lighting fixtures, receptacles, circuit breakers, and fuses.

Prepare your electrical foreman resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your electrical 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 an electrical 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 Electrical Foreman Resume templates

Build a professional Electrical 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 Electrical Foreman resume.