What does a maintenance foreman do?
If an office has a human resource specialist that monitors the employees, maintenance workers have what you call a foreman. They are the ones responsible for overseeing and supervising the maintenance work. This includes monitoring, facilitating, and repairing types of machinery and other equipment. A foreman may supervise the laborers, maintenance workers, helpers, and others.
Maintenance foreman responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real maintenance foreman resumes:
- Manage all contract work including snow removal, mowing, asphalt work, and signage.
- Complete inspections of boiler, coolers & HVAC systems as well as building security.
- Repair all MHE equipment from pallet trucks to 80 ton Terex cranes and container stackers.
- Include running various power equipment, including walk-behind and riding mowers, skid steers, and a backhoe.
- Repair and replace light switches, wall outlets, ballast, breakers and all components and relate hardware.
- Assist in design and installation of new panels and switches, establishing existing circuits and running wire and conduit.
- Operate bobcats, front loaders, chain saws, industrial and commercial mowers, tractors, heavy-duty trucks, etc.
- Identify impending problems and troubleshoot problems; recommend remedial action.
- Perform maintenance and other mechanical, electrical and plumbing work-relate duties as required.
- Supervise contracted maintenance services including electrical, plumbing, roofing, and mechanical service companies.
- Direct equipment upgrades as necessary to meet OSHA safety requirements, continually demonstrating a sense of urgency for all safety-relate items.
- Display excellent ability in correcting SRO finding missing information, incorrectly enter codes and high margin discrepancies.
- Maintain and develop positive business relationships with a customer's key personnel involve in or directly relevant to a logistics activity.
Maintenance foreman skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Maintenance Foremen are proficient in CDL, Plumbing, and Maintenance Repairs. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Dexterity, and Troubleshooting skills.
We break down the percentage of Maintenance Foremen that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CDL, 9%
License: Class A CDL References Upon Request
- Plumbing, 9%
Supervised contracted maintenance services including electrical, plumbing, roofing, and mechanical service companies.
- Maintenance Repairs, 6%
Establish daily maintenance priorities for maintenance repairs performed.
- HVAC, 6%
Maintained eighteen computerized HVAC units.
- Hand Tools, 5%
Constructed foundation, walls and structures, using hand tools, building materials such as wood, cement, and steel.
- Safety Standards, 5%
Work within the confines of the budget to make sure the parks were up to safety standards.
Common skills that a maintenance foreman uses to do their job include "cdl," "plumbing," and "maintenance repairs." You can find details on the most important maintenance foreman responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a maintenance foreman to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis." Maintenance foremen often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "communicated customer requests to landscape maintenance superintendent and sales representative. "
Dexterity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling maintenance foreman duties is dexterity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "many repair and maintenance tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination." According to a maintenance foreman resume, here's how maintenance foremen can utilize dexterity in their job responsibilities: "operate crane trucks, man-lifts, back-hoe/loader, jack hammers, several types of power tools & hand tools. "
Troubleshooting skills. maintenance foremen are also known for troubleshooting skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to maintenance foreman responsibilities, because "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems." A maintenance foreman resume example shows how troubleshooting skills is used in the workplace: "perform daily maintenance and troubleshooting and repair on all plant equipment. "
The three companies that hire the most maintenance foremans are:
- Indiana State Police27 maintenance foremen jobs
- Genesee & Wyoming8 maintenance foremen jobs
- Marathon Petroleum2 maintenance foremen jobs
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Compare different maintenance foremen
Maintenance foreman vs. Operations and maintenance technician
Operations and maintenance technicians are skilled professionals who are responsible for conducting preventive maintenance of all equipment used in the operation of an organization. These technicians are required to ensure that their facilities are always operational by performing inspections and documenting the operating conditions of their equipment. They must utilize numerous power and hand tools so that they can perform all preventive maintenance and diagnose mechanical problems. Operations and maintenance technicians must also monitor the operation of plan equipment to ensure that employees are following the proper maintenance and safety procedures.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, maintenance foreman responsibilities require skills like "cdl," "maintenance repairs," "grounds maintenance," and "maintenance projects." Meanwhile a typical operations and maintenance technician has skills in areas such as "cleanliness," "windows," "ladders," and "control systems." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Operations and maintenance technicians really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $60,926. Comparatively, maintenance foremen tend to make the most money in the energy industry with an average salary of $46,117.On average, operations and maintenance technicians reach similar levels of education than maintenance foremen. Operations and maintenance technicians are 0.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Maintenance foreman vs. Foreman
A foreman is a skilled worker in the construction industry, usually a tenured or experienced construction worker. The construction site's foremen act as the bridge between construction supervisors and construction workers. The foreman is responsible for communicating instructions from supervisors, ensuring that all workers on site are assigned tasks, and ensuring that tasks are completed within the timeline. The foreman is also responsible for checking the quality of the work the workers are doing on-site, managing workers' schedules, and budgeting for needed materials. It is important that a foreman is responsible, trustworthy, and personable.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that maintenance foreman responsibilities requires skills like "plumbing," "maintenance repairs," "hand tools," and "grass." But a foreman might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "osha," "safety rules," "cpr," and "safety regulations."
Foremen earn a higher average salary than maintenance foremen. But foremen earn the highest pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $59,898. Additionally, maintenance foremen earn the highest salaries in the energy with average pay of $46,117 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Foremen tend to reach similar levels of education than maintenance foremen. In fact, they're 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Maintenance foreman vs. Electrical maintenance technician
An electrical maintenance technician is primarily in charge of installing and repairing electrical systems. Their responsibilities often revolve around liaising with clients to identify their needs, examining electrical damages or defects on houses or establishments, troubleshooting, and performing fixes and replacements as needed. Aside from providing technical support, an electrical maintenance technician may also train junior technicians and monitor their progress. Furthermore, in a company setting, one must conduct regular maintenance checks on electrical systems to ensure a safe and efficient work environment.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, maintenance foremen are more likely to have skills like "cdl," "maintenance repairs," "hvac," and "safety standards." But a electrical maintenance technician is more likely to have skills like "ac dc," "preventive maintenance," "control systems," and "switches."
Electrical maintenance technicians make a very good living in the hospitality industry with an average annual salary of $61,573. On the other hand, maintenance foremen are paid the highest salary in the energy industry, with average annual pay of $46,117.When it comes to education, electrical maintenance technicians tend to earn similar degree levels compared to maintenance foremen. In fact, they're 0.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Maintenance foreman vs. Working foreman
Types of maintenance foreman
Updated January 8, 2025
