How long does it take to become a Foreman?

It takes 3 years of professional experience to become a foreman. That is the time it takes to learn specific foreman skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 6 to 8 years years to become a foreman.

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

What is a foreman and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A foreman manages a group of workers on a job site. They ensure that projects meet the required timelines, budgets, and standards. Foremen typically work in construction, but can also be found in manufacturing, mining, and more. They coordinate work schedules, assign tasks, monitor progress, and enforce safety standards. Foremen must have strong leadership and communication skills. The role also requires an understanding of the technical aspects of the project they oversee.

ScoreForemanUS Average

Salary

4.3

Avg. Salary $55,073

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.5

Growth Rate -3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.18%

Asian 2.02%

Black or African American 7.89%

Hispanic or Latino 22.97%

Unknown 4.13%

White 61.80%

Gender

female 4.74%

male 95.26%

Age - 36

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 - 36

Stress Level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.5

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.1

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Foreman?

Pros

Good pay
Chance to work on challenging projects
Possibility of career advancement within the company
Variety in day-to-day duties and tasks
Satisfaction of seeing a project completed successfully

Cons

Long hours and demanding work schedule
High stress levels due to tight deadlines and unexpected problems
Need to make tough decisions that may not please everyone involved
Need to be on-call and available at all times in case of emergencies
Risk of getting injured on the job site

Key steps to become a foreman

Explore foreman education requirements

Most common foreman degrees

High School Diploma

41.4 %

Bachelor's

23.4 %

Associate

19.2 %

Start to develop specific foreman skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	16.65%
OSHA	10.52%
Safety Rules	6.86%
Safety Procedures	4.86%
CPR	4.71%

Complete relevant foreman training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New 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 foreman based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real foreman resumes.

Research foreman duties and responsibilities

Manage construction of sheet metal installation and HVAC systems of commercial facilities including construction of storefronts and mechanical rooms.
Supervise a mowing crew on horse farms, drive company vehicle while hauling equipment, and perform maintenance on mowing equipment.
Operate bobcat, breaking/removing concrete.
Enforce company policies and OSHA regulations, investigate construction accidents utilizing knowledge gain through cooperation with safety department and law enforcement.

Prepare your foreman resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your 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 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 Foreman Resume templates

Build a professional 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 Foreman resume.

Apply for foreman jobs

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

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

How do foremen rate their job?

4.5/5

Based On 2 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Foreman reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022

Pros

As a rigging foreman i will like to do lifting safely following safety procedure

Cons

I dont like working without safety procedure

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

interacting with employees while making sure things get do accordingly

Cons

Not being recognized as being important as other positions and not getting raises.

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Pros

Looking over everyone

Cons

Being responsible when ur not around.for instant u go fireboss and ur down the belt and ur miner operator riding the back of the miner to cut coal and able to see and he slips off and gets hurt .so her u come back on section to find out what happened and how it happened and boom ur responsible even though u wasnt there.

What is a foreman and how to become one

What are the pros and cons of being a Foreman?

Foreman career paths

Key steps to become a foreman

Explore foreman education requirements

Most common foreman degrees

Start to develop specific foreman skills

Complete relevant foreman training and internships

Research foreman duties and responsibilities

Prepare your foreman resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Foreman Resume templates

Apply for foreman jobs

How Did You Land Your First Foreman Job

Average foreman salary

How do foremen rate their job?

Foreman reviews

Foreman FAQs

How long does it take to become a Foreman?

Search for foreman jobs

Foreman jobs by state