What does a tradesman do?
Tradesman responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real tradesman resumes:
- Set up the park and run power for all the vendors that are there.
- Install acoustic panels, finish caulking.
- Follow OSHA safety regulations to ensure a safe job site.
- Assist craft workers in erecting scaffolding, and setting support braces.
- Participate on OSHA back-up team to follow up and maintain safety issues
- Used materials include rails, planks and ladders for the scaffold.
- Dig and back fill trenches and restore job sites to their original status
- Assemble and install metal framing and decorative trim for windows, doorways, and vents.
- Perform all aspects of diagnostics, maintenance, repair and replacement for HVAC and relate systems.
- Experience in sheet metal and HVAC systems, installing doors and hatches, and joiner and insulation.
- Work on numerous residential projects in the trades of masonry, carpentry, roofing, and finishes.
- Replace bricks in brick walkways, remove mold from decks, and replace damaged fascia boards and roofing repairs.
- Work on various ventilation systems, installing access doors for servicing, also clean and maintain coils for heating units.
- Identify tools and procedures need for different plumbing activities and installations.
- Identify plumbing and safety problems applicable to the installation and take necessary corrective action.
Tradesman skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Tradesmen are proficient in HVAC, Plumbing, and Hand Tools. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Craft experience, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Tradesmen that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- HVAC, 14%
Performed all aspects of diagnostics, maintenance, repair and replacement for HVAC and related systems.
- Plumbing, 11%
Identified tools and procedures needed for different plumbing activities and installations.
- Hand Tools, 7%
Gained knowledge and expertise with a wide variety of hand tools, power tools, and other construction equipment.
- Mechanical Equipment, 5%
Perform maintenance on all mechanical equipment.
- Troubleshoot, 5%
Assist Journeymen Preventative Maintenance Troubleshoot and repair Residential/Commercial
- Roofing, 4%
Perform general construction repairs including: Paint, trim carpentry, cabinet installation, siding, roofing, drywall, etc.
Most tradesmen use their skills in "hvac," "plumbing," and "hand tools" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential tradesman responsibilities here:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a tradesman to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what tradesmen do because "inspectors must be able to explain problems they discover and to write a report that clearly describes their findings." Additionally, a tradesman resume shows how tradesmen use communication skills: "assisted with various construction projects and utilized interpersonal communication skills when interacting with customers. "
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for tradesmen to perform their duties. For an example of how tradesman responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "inspectors thoroughly examine many different construction activities." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a tradesman: "help contractor communicate with manual labor for specific detailed tasks. ".
Mechanical knowledge. tradesman responsibilities often require "mechanical knowledge." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "inspectors use a variety of testing equipment to check complex systems and must therefore understand how the systems operate." This resume example shows what tradesmen do with mechanical knowledge on a typical day: "demonstrated knowledge of blueprints by reading drawing plans of the layout of pipe systems and schematics. "
The three companies that hire the most tradesmans are:
- RWJBarnabas Health6 tradesmen jobs
- Serco6 tradesmen jobs
- Austal5 tradesmen jobs
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Compare different tradesmen
Tradesman vs. Electrical contractor
Field supervisors are referred to as the generals for various industries such as engineering, construction, and energy. These supervisors oversee and manage field staff's performance. Their responsibilities include the training and supervision of their staff members for significant guidance. Supervisors should be equipped with communication skills, analysis, and participation. They take charge of projects involving construction, building and landscape maintenance, and engineering. Also, they protect a facility against vandalism and theft.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, tradesman responsibilities require skills like "plumbing," "hand tools," "mechanical equipment," and "troubleshoot." Meanwhile a typical electrical contractor has skills in areas such as "electrical conduit," "transformers," "general contractors," and "payroll." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
On average, electrical contractors reach similar levels of education than tradesmen. Electrical contractors are 3.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Tradesman vs. Private contractor
A house supervisor is responsible for supporting the medical facilities' operations on behalf of the unit management. House supervisors ensure that the medical staff provides the highest quality care services for the patients by responding to their inquiries and concerns and assisting their medical needs. They also handle staffing management, recruiting and training new employees, and monitoring the adequacy of staff during every shift. A house supervisor performs administrative and clerical duties as needed, including budgeting and creating financial reports, and monitoring medical inventories.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real tradesman resumes. While tradesman responsibilities can utilize skills like "plumbing," "hand tools," "mechanical equipment," and "roofing," private contractors use skills like "snow removal," "ran," "mowing," and "manual labor."
In general, private contractors achieve higher levels of education than tradesmen. They're 5.8% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for tradesmans in the next 3-5 years?
Jim Olson
Assistant Executive Director, National Tile Contractors Association
Tradesman vs. Field supervisor
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, tradesmen are more likely to have skills like "plumbing," "hand tools," "mechanical equipment," and "roofing." But a field supervisor is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "quality standards," "emergency situations," and "payroll."
Field supervisors earn the highest salary when working in the energy industry, where they receive an average salary of $54,470. Comparatively, tradesmen have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $51,243.Most field supervisors achieve a similar degree level compared to tradesmen. For example, they're 3.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Tradesman vs. House supervisor
Even though a few skill sets overlap between tradesmen and house supervisors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a tradesman might have more use for skills like "hvac," "plumbing," "hand tools," and "mechanical equipment." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of house supervisors require skills like "patients," "acls," "acute care," and "customer service. "
The health care industry tends to pay the highest salaries for house supervisors, with average annual pay of $68,110. Comparatively, the highest tradesman annual salary comes from the technology industry.house supervisors reach higher levels of education compared to tradesmen, in general. The difference is that they're 6.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of tradesman
Updated January 8, 2025
