What does the job look like day to day?
The foreman owns the crew's piece of the job. You start the day by reading the prints and specs and deciding what gets built, who builds it, and what material they need. O*NET's task list for construction supervisors covers this ground: assigning work based on the job's material and labor needs, estimating labor and material, ordering supplies, and coordinating with the other trades on site.
You also walk the work. That means checking progress and safety, confirming the install matches the specifications, and fixing problems before they become rework. Paperwork comes with it: timesheets, production numbers, daily reports. On smaller crews you will still pull wire and bend pipe. As the crew grows, the tools go down and the clipboard and phone take over.
Safety is the foreman's job
When something goes wrong on a crew, people ask the foreman first. O*NET lists training workers in safety procedures and inspecting sites for safety among the core tasks. In practice that means running the morning safety talk, making sure lockout and tagout is done right, and stopping work when conditions are wrong.
Union contracts often write this down. One IBEW and NECA inside agreement in the Quad Cities says that when a foreman or general foreman is on site, they supervise all tagging and lockout of equipment. The same agreement says workers on a job with a foreman take direction and layout only from the foreman or the employer.
Foreman, general foreman, superintendent
The titles stack. A foreman runs one crew. A general foreman runs several foremen on a bigger job. A superintendent or site superintendent oversees the field side of a whole project, and O*NET lists site superintendent and electrical supervisor among the reported titles for this occupation.
Union contracts set rules for when each title is needed. The Quad Cities inside agreement requires the employer to name a foreman once eight or more employees are on a job. It caps any one foreman at 16 employees, and it has the employer appoint a general foreman when needed. Other locals set different numbers, so read your own local's agreement.
How do you make the step up from journeyman?
Nobody gets hired off the street as a foreman. You earn it by being the journeyman who reads prints well, keeps a clean job, and gets production without cutting corners. BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical entry education. It also says these supervisors typically need 5 or more years of construction experience.
The jump is mostly about people and planning. The math of a takeoff, the look-ahead schedule, and handling a crew member who shows up late are new skills for most good wiremen. Volunteer to run small jobs, learn how your company orders material, and get your safety training current before you ask for the job.
Pay
USD a year, before tax. Ranges run from the 25th to the 75th percentile. They are based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, for supervisors across all construction trades, moved to 2026 with a wage index; state figures are modeled. Union premiums, job size, overtime and title (foreman vs general foreman) move the number. Refer to the Supervision & Field Leadership salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Journeyman-level skillForemen come up from the tools. You need to read prints and specs and know the install well enough to lay out work for others.
- Construction experienceBLS says first-line construction supervisors typically need 5 or more years of construction-related experience.
- EducationBLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for this occupation.
- Planning and estimatingYou estimate labor and material for each task, order supplies, and schedule the crew around the other trades.
- Safety leadershipYou train the crew in safe work methods, inspect the site, and on many union jobs you supervise lockout and tagout.
- RecordkeepingYou keep personnel and production records and fill out daily reports for the office.
How to get there
- StartComplete an apprenticeshipLearn the trade through a union or open-shop program and earn journeyman status in your state.
- After apprenticeshipWork as a journeymanBuild a record for print reading, quality and production. Run small jobs or lead a pair when you get the chance.
- 5+ years in constructionTake a foreman roleRun a crew: assign work, order material, track hours and production, and own the crew's safety.
- Later careerGeneral foremanRun several foremen on a larger job and coordinate with the general contractor and other trades.
- Senior careerSuperintendent or project managerOversee the field side of whole projects, or move into the office on estimating and project management.
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Questions people ask
Does a foreman still do electrical work?
On small crews, yes. O*NET lists helping workers with hand tools among a supervisor's tasks. The bigger the crew, the more your day goes to planning, material and coordination.
How much more does a foreman make than a journeyman?
In union work, the contract sets the foreman premium over the journeyman rate. In the Quad Cities IBEW and NECA inside agreement, the foreman got at least $2.00 an hour over the journeyman wireman rate and the general foreman at least $4.00. Each local sets its own premium.
How many electricians does a foreman supervise?
It depends on the contract and the job. One IBEW inside agreement requires a foreman on jobs with eight or more employees and limits any foreman to 16.
What is the difference between a foreman and a general foreman?
A foreman runs one crew. A general foreman runs multiple foremen and their crews on a larger job. Under many union contracts, the employer appoints the general foreman when the job needs one.
Is the foreman job growing?
BLS projects 5% growth from 2025 to 2035 for first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers. That category had 812,210 jobs in May 2025, making it one of the largest construction occupations.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011.00)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Field of degree, Construction
- BLS Beyond the Numbers: Employment outlook for infrastructure occupations
- BLS: Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025
- Quad Cities Chapter NECA and IBEW Local 145: Inside Agreement
