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The differences between shop foremen and shop managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a shop foreman, becoming a shop manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a shop foreman has an average salary of $68,171, which is higher than the $36,580 average annual salary of a shop manager.
The top three skills for a shop foreman include customer service, preventative maintenance and CDL. The most important skills for a shop manager are customer service, taking care, and work ethic.
| Shop Foreman | Shop Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $68,171 | $36,580 |
| Hourly rate | $32.77 | $17.59 |
| Growth rate | 5% | - |
| Number of jobs | 16,599 | 83,627 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A shop foreman is responsible for monitoring the daily operations of a shop, ensuring that the staff members perform their duties to address customers' needs. A shop foreman manages staffing schedules, trains new employees, and distributes tasks. They often work in manufacturing, automotive, and warehouse industries, which require knowledge of operating equipment. A shop foreman must have excellent leadership and communication skills, especially on addressing customers' inquiries and complaints and performing clerical tasks as needed.
As the name entails, shop managers manage an establishment's day-to-day operations, ensuring it runs effectively and smoothly. Their responsibilities include making business strategies, developing promotional materials, and ensuring that sales teams are motivated. As the shop manager, you will also oversee the store's organizational and operational standards, undertake administrative tasks, and monitor inventory levels. The requirements to become a store manager include having a high school diploma, at least three years of work experience in the retail industry, and leadership skills.
Shop foremen and shop managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Shop Foreman | Shop Manager | |
| Average salary | $68,171 | $36,580 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $97,000 | Between $25,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Gillette, WY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Freightliner Trucks | Rivian |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Retail |
There are a few differences between a shop foreman and a shop manager in terms of educational background:
| Shop Foreman | Shop Manager | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between shop foremen' and shop managers' demographics:
| Shop Foreman | Shop Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 5.3% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |