What Does a Plumbing Foreman Do?
Safe drinking water, working drains and legal installations for tenants, patients, and students rest on the plumbing crew that looks after a building. Plumbing foremen make sure that code is followed and inspections are passed, and that jobs are staffed and finished on time. Some run crews for contractors on new buildings, and others lead the plumbing shop at a university or hospital.
Also known as: Plumbing Supervisor, Plumbing Assistant Supervisor
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Coal Mine Production Foreman, Construction Foreman, Construction Supervisor, Electrical Supervisor, Field Operations Supervisor, Field Supervisor, Insulation Foreman, Roustabout Field Supervisor.
Plumbing Foreman Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a plumbing foreman include:
- Assign plumbers and apprentices to service calls, remodels and new construction each morning.
- Pull permits and book the plumbing inspector for checks before walls close and at the finish.
- Review drawings for pipe sizing, venting and fixture counts, and flag conflicts with other trades.
- Run the backflow testing program and keep certificates current for every device.
- Order pipe, fittings, fixtures and water heaters, and control stock in the shop and trucks.
- Inspect joints, slopes and supports before cover-up, and correct work that misses code.
- Handle emergency calls for burst pipes, sewer backups and gas leaks, and dispatch the right crew.
- Keep time sheets, job costs and daily reports for each project or work order.
- Train apprentices on code, soldering, PEX and cast iron work, and track their hours.
- Meet building users and contractors to plan water shutdowns with the least disruption.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a plumbing foreman, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Journeyman or master plumber license, as the state requires
- Deep knowledge of the local plumbing code, such as the IPC or UPC
- Backflow tester certification
- Crew leadership and scheduling
- Reading plumbing plans and isometrics
- Job costing and material control
- Composure during floods and sewer emergencies
- Clear communication with inspectors and building users
Education and Training
To become a plumbing foreman, in most states you will need a journeyman license, and some employers want a master license before you can pull permits. Foremen typically learn the trade through a plumbing apprenticeship after high school, but some start out by working as helpers for a contractor. Leadership usually comes after years on the tools.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $63,400 - $101,460 per year, with a median of $79,920.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers.
Employment of first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers, which covers plumbing foremen, is projected to grow about 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, according to BLS. The group should see about 67,000 openings a year, according to the same projections, and many plumbing foremen are promoted from their own crews. Given that most states license plumbers, a journeyman with a clean inspection record stands a good chance when a foreman post opens.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers.
Plumbing Foreman Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $53,280 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $63,400 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $79,920 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $101,460 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $128,260 |
Highest-Paying States for Plumbing Foremans
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Washington ($109,570), Illinois ($105,750), New Jersey ($105,510), Oregon ($103,070), Hawaii ($102,630). Pay is lowest in Mississippi ($66,910), Alabama ($64,120), Arkansas ($61,230).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,120 |
| Alaska | $102,140 |
| Arizona | $78,550 |
| Arkansas | $61,230 |
| California | $97,680 |
| Colorado | $81,230 |
| Connecticut | $92,260 |
| Delaware | $81,100 |
| District of Columbia | $86,520 |
| Florida | $75,790 |
| Georgia | $78,430 |
| Hawaii | $102,630 |
| Idaho | $75,550 |
| Illinois | $105,750 |
| Indiana | $82,530 |
| Iowa | $78,510 |
| Kansas | $76,780 |
| Kentucky | $73,490 |
| Louisiana | $75,360 |
| Maine | $77,290 |
| Maryland | $78,760 |
| Massachusetts | $97,850 |
| Michigan | $78,180 |
| Minnesota | $97,610 |
| Mississippi | $66,910 |
| Missouri | $87,520 |
| Montana | $76,910 |
| Nebraska | $75,570 |
| Nevada | $81,990 |
| New Hampshire | $81,220 |
| New Jersey | $105,510 |
| New Mexico | $75,130 |
| New York | $95,700 |
| North Carolina | $75,270 |
| North Dakota | $81,370 |
| Ohio | $79,580 |
| Oklahoma | $73,040 |
| Oregon | $103,070 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,540 |
| Rhode Island | $98,590 |
| South Carolina | $75,350 |
| South Dakota | $77,690 |
| Tennessee | $74,470 |
| Texas | $74,520 |
| Utah | $77,280 |
| Vermont | $82,490 |
| Virginia | $78,640 |
| Washington | $109,570 |
| West Virginia | $80,060 |
| Wisconsin | $85,350 |
| Wyoming | $78,250 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 94% are on the phone every day
- 91% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 91% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 90% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
- 63% use email every day
- 63% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 61% work around hazardous equipment every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Post-secondary certificate | 27% |
| Less than high school | 22% |
| High school diploma or GED | 21% |
| Associate's degree | 12% |
Tools and Software Plumbing Foremans Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Coordination, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Management of Personnel Resources, Reading Comprehension.
Knowledge areas used most: Administration and Management, Building and Construction, Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, English Language.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 47-1011.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.