Using their knowledge and expertise of all construction disciplines, a general foreman plans and oversees operations within a construction site to ensure that everything is running smoothly. They are typically in charge of conducting regular inspections, coordinating with engineers and architects, managing the budget and expenditures, supervising workers, and ensuring that the project moves according to the desired time frame. Furthermore, a general foreman implements all safety regulations and policies to ensure a safe and productive work environment for everyone.

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General Foreman Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real general foreman resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

  • Manage and supervise residential remodel and new construction projects.
  • Install EMT, ridge, and PVC conduit systems for the protection and utilization of electrical wiring.
  • Work with many types of PVC style roof systems ..
  • Instruct on how to properly rig parts on flat bar, load and unload trucks
  • Clean and maintain seal coat rig including removing and replacing gaskets, spools and pipe.
  • Work involve using of hand and power tools, wedges, dogs, and turnbuckles.
  • Maintain progress reports for all structural work, keep time for 23 employees, supervise a crew of MIG welders.
  • Lead man on HVAC crew coordinating all phases of installation, responsible for calculating wire pulls and design of conduit systems.
  • Handle routine repairs to building such as plumbing, HVAC, repair PVC piping, electrical maintenance, carpentry and masonry.
  • Oversee various projects of schedule machinery moves with the use of cranes, forklifts and other equipment to complete customer deadlines.
  • Ensure the company are compliant with OSHA regulations and legislation involving occupational safety and health activities.
  • Perform supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the current OSHA safety guidelines, local jurisdiction policies and applicable laws.
  • Demonstrate cross-functional and collaborative team leadership while also delivering superior customer service to maintain client satisfaction and retention.
  • Supervise crane and rigging operations.
  • Work in Dow, BASF, Phillips, and Shintec for local contract companies

General Foreman Job Description

When it comes to understanding what a general foreman does, you may be wondering, "should I become a general foreman?" The data included in this section may help you decide. Compared to other jobs, general foremen have a growth rate described as "decline" at -3% between the years 2018 - 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the number of general foreman opportunities that are predicted to open up by 2028 is -400.

On average, the general foreman annual salary is $48,517 per year, which translates to $23.33 an hour. Generally speaking, general foremen earn anywhere from $37,000 to $62,000 a year, which means that the top-earning general foremen make $32,000 more than the ones at the lower end of the spectrum.

Once you've become a general foreman, you may be curious about what other opportunities are out there. Careers aren't one size fits all. For that reason, we discovered some other jobs that you may find appealing. Some jobs you might find interesting include a prestressed concrete labour, construction inspector, apprentice carpenter, and concrete finisher.

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General Foreman Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 11% of General Foremen are proficient in Safety Procedures, OSHA, and Safety Rules. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Listening skills, and Communication skills.

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

  • Safety Procedures, 11%

    Maintained a safe working environment by monitored safety procedures and equipment.

  • OSHA, 9%

    Performed supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the current OSHA safety guidelines, local jurisdiction policies and applicable laws.

  • Safety Rules, 8%

    Promoted area safety rules and requirements.

  • Quality Standards, 6%

    Insure all installations of equipment and components complied with company and vendor quality standards and installations specifications.

  • Oversight, 5%

    Provided oversight of interior construction within building.

  • Safety Policies, 5%

    Managed and evaluated projects and personnel, including ensuring safety policies were followed.

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"safety procedures," "osha," and "safety rules" aren't the only skills we found general foremen list on their resumes. In fact, there's a whole list of general foreman responsibilities that we found, including:

  • The most important skills for a general foreman to have in this position are detail oriented. In this excerpt that we gathered from a general foreman resume, you'll understand why: "forest and conservation workers must watch gauges, dials, or other indicators to determine whether equipment and tools are working properly" According to resumes we found, detail oriented can be used by a general foreman in order to "perform detailed inspections to proactively identify complex issues and schedule preventative maintenance for over 600 hvac units. "
  • While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many general foreman duties rely on listening skills. This example from a general foreman explains why: "forest and conservation workers must give full attention to what their superiors are saying." This resume example is just one of many ways general foremen are able to utilize listening skills: "cat 6, fiber optic, coaxial) communicated with clients and employees to determine their needs. "
  • General foremen are also known for communication skills, which can be critical when it comes to performing their duties. An example of why this skill is important is shown by this snippet that we found in a general foreman resume: "forest and conservation workers must convey information effectively to technicians and other workers." We also found this resume example that details how this skill is put to the test: "finished projected on date appointed managed a team of seven works maintained constant communication with customer maintained a full customer satisfaction"
  • See the full list of general foreman skills.

    We've found that 27.4% of general foremen have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 3.6% earned their master's degrees before becoming a general foreman. While it's true that some general foremen have a college degree, it's generally possible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every three general foremen did not spend the extra money to attend college.

    The general foremen who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied business and electrical engineering technology, while a small population of general foremen studied electrical engineering and general studies.

    When you're ready to become a general foreman, you might wonder which companies hire general foremen. According to our research through general foreman resumes, general foremen are mostly hired by Primoris Services, MasTec, and The Davey Tree Expert Company. Now is a good time to apply as Primoris Services has 11 general foremen job openings, and there are 8 at MasTec and 7 at The Davey Tree Expert Company.

    But if you're interested in companies where you might earn a high salary, general foremen tend to earn the biggest salaries at Pacifi, Southern California Edison, and Hensel Phelps. Take Pacifi for example. The median general foreman salary is $76,386. At Southern California Edison, general foremen earn an average of $75,529, while the average at Hensel Phelps is $66,900. You should take into consideration how difficult it might be to secure a job with one of these companies.

    View more details on general foreman salaries across the United States.

    Some other companies you might be interested in as a general foreman include KBR, Newkirk Electric Associates, and Fluor. These three companies were found to hire the most general foremen from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

    The three companies that hire the most prestigious general foremans are:

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    What Prestressed Concrete Labours Do

    Prestressed concrete labor works at construction sites where they are in charge of handling and processing prestressed concrete materials into structural forms. They typically coordinate with managers and engineers to learn the construction plans and guidelines, design and build structures, prepare materials, and perform corrective measures when necessary. They must also maintain an active communication line with staff, coordinating regularly. Moreover, prestressed concrete labor must abide by the construction site's safety policies and regulations for a safe and efficient work environment.

    We looked at the average general foreman annual salary and compared it with the average of a prestressed concrete labour. Generally speaking, prestressed concrete labours receive $14,370 lower pay than general foremen per year.

    While their salaries may differ, one common ground between general foremen and prestressed concrete labours are a few of the skills required in each craft. In both careers, employees bring forth skills like osha, safety regulations, and construction projects.

    These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. A general foreman responsibility is more likely to require skills like "safety procedures," "safety rules," "quality standards," and "oversight." Whereas a prestressed concrete labour requires skills like "rakes," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "shovels." Just by understanding these different skills you can see how different these careers are.

    Prestressed concrete labours receive the highest salaries in the construction industry coming in with an average yearly salary of $38,973. But general foremen are paid more in the construction industry with an average salary of $54,753.

    On average, prestressed concrete labours reach similar levels of education than general foremen. Prestressed concrete labours are 3.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

    What Are The Duties Of a Construction Inspector?

    A construction inspector is a professional who is responsible for inspecting construction sites to ensure that these sites are following local and building codes and ordinances, zoning regulations, and contract specifications. Construction inspectors use survey equipment, metering devices, and test equipment to perform inspections of plumbing, electrical and other systems within the construction. They approve building plans that are satisfactory and issue violation notices and stop orders when there are violations. Construction inspectors also keep photographs taken during inspections and provide written documentation.

    Next up, we have the construction inspector profession to look over. This career brings along a higher average salary when compared to a general foreman annual salary. In fact, construction inspectors salary difference is $3,789 higher than the salary of general foremen per year.

    A similarity between the two careers of general foremen and construction inspectors are a few of the skills associated with both roles. We used resumes from both professions to find that both use skills like "osha," "safety regulations," and "construction projects. "

    In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences that are worth noting. For example, general foreman responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "safety procedures," "safety rules," "quality standards," and "oversight." Meanwhile, a construction inspector might be skilled in areas such as "asphalt," "aci," "construction inspection," and "construction management." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

    It's been discovered that construction inspectors earn higher salaries compared to general foremen, but we wanted to find out where construction inspectors earned the most pay. The answer? The professional industry. The average salary in the industry is $62,629. Additionally, general foremen earn the highest paychecks in the construction with an average salary of $54,753.

    On the topic of education, construction inspectors earn similar levels of education than general foremen. In general, they're 3.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    How an Apprentice Carpenter Compares

    An apprentice carpenter is responsible for assisting the carpenter on construction operations, ensuring the adherence to safety protocols, and following clients' specifications. Apprentice carpenters monitor carpentry tools and equipment adequacy, inspect the items for any defects for immediate repair or replacements, and analyze blueprints and schematics, especially for installing systems and essential components on the construction. An apprentice carpenter must have excellent organizational and time-management skills and extensive knowledge of the carpentry industry to support the project completion for the customer's satisfaction.

    The third profession we take a look at is apprentice carpenter. On an average scale, these workers bring in lower salaries than general foremen. In fact, they make a $10,615 lower salary per year.

    Using general foremen and apprentices carpenter resumes, we found that both professions have similar skills such as "safety rules," "safety regulations," and "construction projects," but the other skills required are very different.

    As mentioned, these two careers differ between other skills that are required for performing the work exceedingly well. For example, gathering from general foremen resumes, they are more likely to have skills like "safety procedures," "osha," "quality standards," and "oversight." But a apprentice carpenter might have skills like "hand tools," "ladders," "caulking," and "work ethic."

    Additionally, apprentices carpenter earn a higher salary in the construction industry compared to other industries. In this industry, they receive an average salary of $42,204. Additionally, general foremen earn an average salary of $54,753 in the construction industry.

    Apprentices carpenter typically study at similar levels compared with general foremen. For example, they're 2.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    Description Of a Concrete Finisher

    A concrete finisher is responsible for smoothing out concrete surfaces, ensuring that the final result followed the design and client's specifications. Concrete finishers operate special construction equipment to stabilize concrete forms. They also analyze blueprints and construction plans to identify necessary techniques and adjustments to deliver a high-quality project. A concrete finisher must also observe strict safety guidelines and procedures for doing the task and making sure that all tools are maintained. A concrete finisher must show excellent time-management, as well as the ability to multi-task to perform duties within a fast-paced environment.

    The fourth career we look at typically earns lower pay than general foremen. On average, concrete finishers earn a difference of $7,843 lower per year.

    While their salaries may vary, general foremen and concrete finishers both use similar skills to perform their jobs. Resumes from both professions include skills like "osha," "safety rules," and "construction projects. "

    Each job requires different skills like "safety procedures," "quality standards," "oversight," and "safety policies," which might show up on a general foreman resume. Whereas concrete finisher might include skills like "hand tools," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "finishers."

    In general, concrete finishers make a higher salary in the construction industry with an average of $42,634. The highest general foreman annual salary stems from the construction industry.

    Concrete finishers reach similar levels of education when compared to general foremen. The difference is that they're 2.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree less, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.