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First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.
Other titles employers use
Coal Mine Production Foreman · Construction Foreman · Construction Supervisor · Electrical Supervisor · Field Operations Supervisor · Field Supervisor · Insulation Foreman · Roustabout Field Supervisor
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Inspect work progress, equipment, or construction sites to verify safety or to ensure that specifications are met.
- Read specifications, such as blueprints, to determine construction requirements or to plan procedures.
- Supervise, coordinate, or schedule the activities of construction or extractive workers.
- Assign work to employees, based on material or worker requirements of specific jobs.
- Coordinate work activities with other construction project activities.
- Estimate material or worker requirements to complete jobs.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to persuading, organizing and practical work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Coordination
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Reading Comprehension
Subjects to know
- Administration and Management
- Building and Construction
- Mechanical
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Information Ordering
- Near Vision
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.9 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 3.6 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 5.0 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.2 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 43%
- A certificate or some college 35%
- A two-year degree 12%
- A four-year degree 10%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Project management software
- Document management software
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 107,400
- Job openings each year
- 9,190
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 12.8%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 107,400 | 9,190 | 12.8% |
| California | 89,500 | 7,610 | 11.7% |
| Florida | 72,010 | 6,220 | 14.4% |
| North Carolina | 37,500 | 3,150 | 9.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 29,680 | 2,390 | 2.9% |
| New York | 27,880 | 100 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 27,230 | 2,210 | 4.4% |
| Georgia | 26,650 | 2,260 | 11.6% |
| Colorado | 26,590 | 2,280 | 13.2% |
| Washington | 24,530 | 2,410 | 13.6% |
| Arizona | 21,830 | 1,860 | 11.6% |
| Ohio | 20,800 | 1,670 | 2.8% |
| Maryland | 19,080 | 1,580 | 7.3% |
| Tennessee | 18,980 | 1,670 | 18.1% |
| Wisconsin | 18,310 | 1,560 | 11.9% |
| Utah | 17,920 | 1,680 | 32.5% |
| Michigan | 17,750 | 1,400 | — |
| Illinois | 16,410 | 1,330 | 3.5% |
| Alabama | 15,750 | 1,310 | 8.2% |
| Indiana | 15,680 | 1,260 | 2.8% |
| Louisiana | 14,740 | 1,250 | 11.2% |
| Minnesota | 14,570 | 1,210 | 7.0% |
| New Jersey | 14,200 | 1,150 | 4.4% |
| Missouri | 12,230 | 1,000 | 5.3% |
| South Carolina | 11,980 | 980 | 4.9% |
| Oklahoma | 11,480 | 950 | 7.4% |
| Oregon | 9,630 | 830 | 14.9% |
| Iowa | 8,780 | 740 | 10.7% |
| Mississippi | 8,370 | 730 | 15.1% |
| Massachusetts | 8,310 | 680 | 6.3% |
| Kansas | 8,180 | 660 | 4.2% |
| Kentucky | 8,110 | 650 | 3.2% |
| Connecticut | 8,090 | 690 | 13.1% |
| Nevada | 7,990 | 680 | 11.9% |
| New Mexico | 7,830 | 670 | 14.0% |
| Arkansas | 7,700 | 630 | 6.2% |
| Montana | 6,960 | 620 | 22.1% |
| Idaho | 6,640 | 610 | 26.5% |
| Nebraska | 6,620 | 550 | 8.3% |
| Puerto Rico | 6,370 | 540 | 12.0% |
| West Virginia | 5,990 | 470 | −1.3% |
| North Dakota | 4,330 | 370 | 14.2% |
| Wyoming | 3,710 | 320 | 14.2% |
| Maine | 3,060 | 240 | −2.5% |
| New Hampshire | 3,020 | 250 | 7.1% |
| Delaware | 2,920 | 240 | 7.0% |
| Rhode Island | 2,720 | 230 | 10.1% |
| South Dakota | 2,700 | 230 | 10.7% |
| Vermont | 1,340 | 110 | 7.2% |
| District of Columbia | 1,290 | 110 | 8.4% |
| Alaska | 990 | 90 | 22.2% |
| Guam | 360 | 30 | −2.7% |
| Virgin Islands | 250 | 20 | 13.6% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
The University of Texas at San Antonio
- Degrees each year
- 76
- Admit rate
- 88%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
Rowan University
- Degrees each year
- 56
- Admit rate
- 78%
- Annual cost after aid
- $19,000
Tuskegee University
- Degrees each year
- 12
- Admit rate
- 31%
- Annual cost after aid
- $35,000
Thomas Jefferson University
- Degrees each year
- 4
- Admit rate
- 86%
- Annual cost after aid
- $25,000
SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
- Degrees each year
- 2
- Admit rate
- 88%
- Annual cost after aid
- $19,000
Compare every college offering building/construction finishing, management, and inspection