Although a maintenance foreman usually oversees all maintenance-related work done by mechanics, they are expected to have deep knowledge about every technical and mechanical thing that goes on in a building or facility.
Routine maintenance, emergency repairs, and compliance to state and federal regulations are some of the tasks that a maintenance foreman directs and supervises. Therefore, they must be skilled in electrical systems, plumbing, heating and ventilation, and waste disposal systems.
A maintenance foreman doesn't need a college degree to qualify for the job; they only need a high school diploma and years of experience in building trades, building maintenance, and supervisory work. Their essential skills include knowledge in blueprints and wiring diagrams, troubleshooting system failures, and proper use of job-related tools and equipment.
Some of the perks of being a maintenance foreman are the salary and the promotion opportunities. On average, they earn about $17.79 per hour. They can also go up the career ladder and become a facilities maintenance supervisor or a building administrative supervisor.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a maintenance foreman. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.79 an hour? That's $39,081 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 85,400 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many maintenance foremen have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed customer-service skills, dexterity and troubleshooting skills.
If you're interested in becoming a maintenance foreman, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 28.1% of maintenance foremen have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 2.2% of maintenance foremen have master's degrees. Even though some maintenance foremen have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a maintenance foreman. When we researched the most common majors for a maintenance foreman, we found that they most commonly earn high school diploma degrees or bachelor's degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on maintenance foreman resumes include associate degree degrees or diploma degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a maintenance foreman. In fact, many maintenance foreman jobs require experience in a role such as maintenance technician. Meanwhile, many maintenance foremen also have previous career experience in roles such as foreman or electrician.