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Shop foreman vs shop supervisor

The differences between shop foremen and shop supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a shop foreman and a shop supervisor. Additionally, a shop foreman has an average salary of $68,171, which is higher than the $50,689 average annual salary of a shop supervisor.

The top three skills for a shop foreman include customer service, preventative maintenance and CDL. The most important skills for a shop supervisor are customer service, safety procedures, and preventative maintenance.

Shop foreman vs shop supervisor overview

Shop ForemanShop Supervisor
Yearly salary$68,171$50,689
Hourly rate$32.77$24.37
Growth rate5%4%
Number of jobs16,59935,924
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 37%Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age4646
Years of experience22

What does a shop foreman do?

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.

What does a shop supervisor do?

A shop supervisor is responsible for monitoring the overall operations of a store, delegating tasks to the shop personnel, and ensuring the highest quality service to the customers for their satisfaction. Shop supervisors handle the sales inventory and process bank transactions every closing. They also negotiate contracts with suppliers and third-party vendors, receive proof of shipments, maintain an organized record of deliveries, and implement marketing strategies to boost brand awareness and generate more revenues to increase profitability.

Shop foreman vs shop supervisor salary

Shop foremen and shop supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Shop ForemanShop Supervisor
Average salary$68,171$50,689
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $97,000Between $30,000 And $84,000
Highest paying CityGillette, WYNew York, NY
Highest paying stateWyomingDelaware
Best paying companyFreightliner TrucksTechnipFMC
Best paying industryEnergyEnergy

Differences between shop foreman and shop supervisor education

There are a few differences between a shop foreman and a shop supervisor in terms of educational background:

Shop ForemanShop Supervisor
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 37%Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common majorAutomotive TechnologyBusiness
Most common collegeSUNY FarmingdaleStanford University

Shop foreman vs shop supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between shop foremen' and shop supervisors' demographics:

Shop ForemanShop Supervisor
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 97.0% Female, 3.0%Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
Race ratioBlack 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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between shop foreman and shop supervisor duties and responsibilities

Shop foreman example 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.
  • Use and supervision of heavy equipment including skid steers, backhoe, track hoe, excavators bucket truck and hydraulic cranes.
  • Install BDA's, LMA s & TMA s. install GPS for Nextel shelters.
  • Show more

Shop supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Manage and supervise CNC operators.
  • Supervise and work in a fabrication shop, fabricate conveyors, MIG and TIG welding, and operate end mill.
  • Procure aerospace alloys and materials as well as all consumables.
  • Design medical, kitchen, and woodworking products using SolidWorks.
  • Follow instructions given by supervisor to ensure products are being meet to QA and USDA.
  • Start out as a welder (MIG, TIG) and move up to shop supervisor.
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Shop foreman vs shop supervisor skills

Common shop foreman skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 8%
  • CDL, 6%
  • CNC, 4%
  • Shop Equipment, 4%
  • Diesel Engines, 3%
Common shop supervisor skills
  • Customer Service, 26%
  • Safety Procedures, 10%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 6%
  • Parts Inventory, 6%
  • OSHA, 4%
  • Equipment Maintenance, 3%

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