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What is a shop foreman and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read

Are you willing to begin your career in the automotive industry? If one of your new year's resolutions is to get onto a career path that combines your love of cars with a well-paid and in-demand profession, then look no further than becoming a store foreman. A shop foreman is a senior-level position in an automobile or industrial equipment repair garage and usually a step up from a service technician or repair person in the hierarchy. This is an excellent profession that offers you an opportunity to run and monitor heavy-duty, technical manufacturing machines, parts, and equipment, personally. So if you're the kind of person who loves working with your hands as well as monitoring others to do the same, a career as a shop foreman could be satisfying and rewarding to you!

Being shop foreman, you'll be the leader of your mechanic staff in a workshop or a plant, and responsible for overseeing and managing the daily operations as well as the staff members who manufacture products, make services, or repairs. In addition to this, you'll also, hire and train employees, set the schedules and records, create effective strategies for meeting work deadlines, and coordinate with your team members to ensure work quality. Working the shop foreman position brings you complete liberty of choosing your workplace. From small auto body shops to large manufacturing plants, you can work in numerous construction facilities, including a factory, warehouse, automotive repair shop, machine, textile, or artisan manufacturing shop. Your working hours as a shop foreman usually follow a shift pattern. Since large auto shops and manufacturing plants often operate on a shift schedule, this means you might have to work for odd hours, weekend and holiday work are likely required. In some cases, you may be on the call 24/7 as the need arises.

To become a shop foreman, generally, a high school diploma or GED is required. There are no set educational or training requirements for this role; however, if you've earned some warehouse or factory experience using forklifts and air-powered tools, possess strong leadership and customer-driven abilities, technical skills, and the ability to work as a team, then you're a perfect fit for the role of shop foreman. Being the first-line supervisor of production and operating workers, you'll earn a living wage that helps ensure your basic needs and financial stability. Generally, as a shop foreman, you can expect to make a median salary of $42,000 per year. Your salary can range from $30,000 to $90,000, depending on years of experience and the nature of your company. The career advancement chances of shop foreman are also very high. Once you begin your career as a shop foreman in the automotive industry, your detailed experience and excellence in this challenging and rewarding position can pave the way for advancement into the role of service or branch manager and unlock the doors of high-paying jobs for you!

ScoreShop ForemanUS Average
Salary
5.3

Avg. Salary $68,171

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.1

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.71%

Asian 5.27%

Black or African American 12.45%

Hispanic or Latino 16.75%

Unknown 4.19%

White 60.63%

Gender

female 2.96%

male 97.04%

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

Shop foreman career paths

Key steps to become a shop foreman

  1. Explore shop foreman education requirements

    Most common shop foreman degrees

    High School Diploma

    37.1 %

    Associate

    28.1 %

    Bachelor's

    15.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific shop foreman skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service16.39%
    Preventative Maintenance8.45%
    CDL6.01%
    CNC3.97%
    Shop Equipment3.73%
  3. Complete relevant shop foreman training and internships

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

    Shop 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 shop foreman certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for shop foremen include OSHA Safety Certificate and EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research shop foreman duties and responsibilities

    • Manage and perform all excavations.
    • Uphold company, AAR, FRA policy to ensure compliance through operation testing/auditing.
    • Certificate of completion in scaffold training, CPR and basic first aid and construction safety and health by OSHA.
    • Provide weekly property maintenance such as mowing, weeding, property cleanup, debris removal, snow removal, etc.
  6. Prepare your shop foreman resume

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

    Build a professional shop 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 shop foreman resume.
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  7. Apply for shop foreman jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a shop foreman job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first shop foreman job

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Average shop foreman salary

The average shop foreman salary in the United States is $68,171 per year or $33 per hour. Shop foreman salaries range between $47,000 and $97,000 per year.

Average shop foreman salary
$68,171 Yearly
$32.77 hourly

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Shop foreman reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros

figuring out how to solve problem and resolving

Cons

over seeing employees, hard to find employees with good work ethics


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Cons

be away from my family


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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