How To Become A Shift Foreman: What It Is and Career Path

What is a shift foreman and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average shift foreman salary is $35,963. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an business major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a shift foreman. Shift foremen with a OSHA Safety Certificate certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -3% and produce -400 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreShift ForemanUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,963

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.1

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 5.90%

Black or African American 11.22%

Hispanic or Latino 13.26%

Unknown 4.28%

White 64.62%

Gender

female 3.97%

male 96.03%

Age - 47

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 - 47

Stress level

8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a shift foreman

Explore shift foreman education requirements

Most common shift foreman degrees

High School Diploma

32.8 %

Bachelor's

26.7 %

Associate

22.9 %

Start to develop specific shift foreman skills

Skills	Percentages
Machine Operators	11.10%
Safety Rules	7.97%
Plant Operations	7.14%
Preventative Maintenance	6.13%
CNC	5.80%

Complete relevant shift foreman training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New shift 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 a shift foreman based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real shift foreman resumes.

Research shift foreman duties and responsibilities

Manage a team of up to eight CNC operators in production setting.
Implement changes to the departments safety program, and lead tours and employee audits for lock-out and PPE.
Manage and perform all excavations.
Work with team to assist with ISO requirements.

Prepare your shift foreman resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your shift 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 a shift 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 shift foreman resume templates

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