A demolition field supervisor covers several teardown and strip-out sites, driving between them all day. They check that each building comes down in the planned order, that torch cutting has its fire precautions, and that crews use only the marked way in. They settle site problems and report to the office daily.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, other specialty trade contractors · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $50,700, middle half $60,680 to $96,420, 90th percentile $114,880. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
Operations Manager
Department
Operations
Schedule
Weekdays, some weekends and on-call · Monday to Friday with overtime as needed, some weekend work, on call in critical phases, and driving between sites
Also called
Demolition superintendent · Site superintendent · General foreman · Demolition site supervisor
Demolition field supervisor job description template
This is our Role Blueprint, word for word. Replace the highlighted fields and adjust the example targets and pay to fit your company.
Responsible for overseeing demolition projects to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant operations on all job sites. Plays a key role in enforcing safety protocols while coordinating with teams to resolve on-site challenges efficiently. Contributes to the company’s commitment to high-quality demolition services and customer satisfaction.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Enforce all company and regulatory safety standards and protocols on demolition sites.
Inspect job sites daily to ensure compliance with demolition plans and identify potential hazards.
Resolve on-site challenges promptly by implementing effective solutions and coordinating with relevant teams.
Communicate regularly with project stakeholders to ensure project goals and deadlines are met.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct pre-job safety briefings and daily toolbox meetings to ensure team awareness.
Supervise and mentor demolition crews during all phases of the project.
Monitor equipment operation and work performance to guarantee adherence to safety and quality standards.
Maintain accurate daily records of site activities, inspections, and incident reports.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Safety Compliance Rate: Achieve 100% adherence to safety protocols on all projects.
On-Site Inspection Efficiency: Complete 100% of scheduled inspections and reviews daily.
Incident Resolution Time: Resolve any on-site challenges within an average of 2 hours.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain a target satisfaction score of >4.8 stars on post-project surveys.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High School Diploma or equivalent, with additional technical or safety certifications preferred.
Minimum of 3 years’ experience in demolition, construction, or a related industrial field.
Excellent leadership skills and the ability to enforce safety protocols under pressure.
Exceptional problem-solving, communication, and organizational skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience supervising demolition projects or heavy construction sites.
Familiarity with local construction codes, environmental regulations, and demolition best practices.
Proven track record of managing on-site teams in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
Experience with digital incident reporting tools and safety management systems.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds as needed.
Comfortable working outdoors in varying environmental conditions including heat, cold, and precipitation.
Frequent walking, standing, and climbing on uneven job site terrain.
Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is mandatory during all operations.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours are Monday through Friday, with occasional overtime as needed.
Must be prepared for intermittent weekend work and on-call duties during critical project phases.
Regular travel between job sites is required.
Environment includes active construction and demolition sites with variable weather conditions.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $60,000 - $80,000 USD per year, commensurate with experience.
Eligible for performance-based bonuses and commissions.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
401(k) with company match and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of excellence, teamwork, and continuous growth.
Our environment is supportive and inclusive, empowering employees to exceed industry standards.
We are passionate about safety, quality, and customer satisfaction, ensuring every team member thrives.
Join us to be part of an innovative company that values professional development and work-life balance.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
What a demolition field supervisor checks on every visit
Each visit is a check on things the crew can't easily see from inside the work: the order the building is coming down in, the way people get in and out, and where the torch sparks land.
Top floor first, one story at a time
OSHA has exterior walls and floors taken down from the top of the building. Prep work, such as cutting holes for chutes, is the exception. Each story's walls and floors come out and drop to the storage space before work starts on the story below. A floor hole that isn't a drop gets a cover strong enough for any load, fastened so it can't slide. A late job tempts crews to open a second floor early. So the supervisor checks both on every visit. Source: eCFR: Preparatory operations for demolition (29 CFR 1926.850).
Crews use only the marked way in
On a demolition job, OSHA allows only the stairs, passageways and ladders named as the way in. Every other route stays closed. The named ones get checked from time to time and kept clean. In a building of more than one story, a stairwell in use must be lit. It is also solidly covered at least two floors below the floor being worked, with a lit, protected, separate path onto that floor. The supervisor sets the route on day one and walks it again each time a floor comes out. Source: eCFR: Stairs, passageways and ladders in demolition (29 CFR 1926.851).
Torch cutting needs fire precautions first
Sparks and slag land in old insulation, wood blocking and dust. OSHA bars cutting where flammable paint is being put on, or where other flammable compounds or heavy dust create a hazard. Extinguishers must be close at hand. When the usual steps aren't enough, an extra worker watches for fire during the cutting and long enough after that none can start. When the cut goes through a wall or floor, the room beyond gets those precautions too. Before lighting up, the supervisor decides if a fire watch is needed. Source: eCFR: Fire prevention for welding and cutting (29 CFR 1926.352).
Steel frames come down tier by tier
In a steel-framed building, OSHA has the frame taken apart one column length and one tier at a time. Columns may come out in two-story lengths. No piece being cut apart may be overstressed. Once the floor arches are gone, workers razing the steel stand on planks laid as the floor removal rule says. Any crane follows OSHA's crane rules. The supervisor checks the cutting order against the plan, since a beam cut out of turn can shift weight onto the steel still standing. Source: eCFR: Removal of steel construction (29 CFR 1926.858).
How much demolition field supervisors make
The closest BLS group for demolition field supervisors is First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers. First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers who work for other specialty trade contractors earned a median of $36.78 an hour ($76,510 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $79,920 median for First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in all industries. About 62,160 of the 812,210 First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in that survey work for other specialty trade contractors.
The template puts this job on salary, with bonus and commission lines. The salary range opens at about what a supervisor a quarter of the way up this chart earns and closes just past the median. A supervisor doesn't sell, so say in the offer what any commission is paid on. Tie the bonus to jobs closed without a damage claim and to inspection records kept current.
Other specialty trade contractors
$76,510$76,510 median Middle half $60,680–$96,420 10th–90th $50,700–$114,880
All industries
$79,920$79,920 median Middle half $63,400–$101,460 10th–90th $53,280–$128,260
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Other specialty trade contractors
$50,700
$60,680
$76,510
$96,420
$114,880
All industries
$53,280
$63,400
$79,920
$101,460
$128,260
BLS doesn’t publish pay for demolition contractors on their own. These figures cover other specialty trade contractors, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has run demolition crews inside occupied buildings and on full teardowns
Reads a demolition plan and sees when a crew has drifted from its order
Spots open floor holes, loose masonry and dust near a torch from the doorway
Stops a job when something is wrong and backs the lead who called it
Keeps daily reports clear enough to bill extras from and to answer a claim
Teach these on the job
Your inspection checklist and incident report app
Fire watch steps for torch cutting on your jobs
Badging and orientation steps at your regular clients' sites
The 30-hour OSHA construction class, for anyone who hasn't taken it
Your closeout walk with the client
The supervisor carries the demolition plan, the survey and the daily report on a tablet or phone, plus a radio to reach machine operators in the cab. Stock the supervisor's truck with spare barricades, plywood for hole covers and an extinguisher, so a gap found on a visit gets fixed before they leave.
Demolition field supervisor interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Dust control failure
The water supply for dust control fails, and dust is drifting toward neighboring homes. What do you do?
A strong answer: Pauses the dusty work, finds another water source, shifts the crew to low-dust tasks, and updates the project manager.
Behavioral · Spotting missed hazards
Tell me about a time you stopped work because of a hazard others had missed.
A strong answer: Explains what they noticed, how they stopped it, and what changed.
Begin with the template's goals. After three months of inspection logs and closeouts, reset each one for the mix of sites this supervisor covers.
Safety Compliance Rate
Items passed on the supervisor's own site checks and on spot checks by the safety manager: floor covers fastened, extra routes closed off, a fire watch named where torch work calls for one, and crews in the right gear.
On-Site Inspection Efficiency
Inspections the schedule called for against inspections logged with the time, the site and photos. Count a visit only when the checklist was finished, not when the truck pulled in.
Incident Resolution Time
Two times in the daily report for each problem, such as a found tank, a jammed chute or a neighbor at the fence: when it was called in, and when the area was closed off with the right person on the way.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
At each closeout, put two questions to whoever ran the site for the client: did the site stay safe for their people, and did the supervisor return calls the same day? Read scores by supervisor.
What does on-call during critical phases mean in demolition?
The template's critical phases are the nights a site can't be left alone: a building half down, a wind warning with a high-reach machine parked on site, or a fire watch after late torch work. The supervisor on call drives out to check the fence, the barricades and whatever is left standing. They are also the person the police or a neighbor reaches. Set the rotation a month ahead, and give whoever covered the weekend a later start on Monday.
How much does a demolition field supervisor make?
First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers who work for other specialty trade contractors earned a median of $36.78 an hour ($76,510 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $60,680 and $96,420 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Can a field supervisor really settle site problems within two hours?
Read the template's two-hour goal as making the area safe and getting the fix moving, not finishing it. An unknown drum in a basement, a live line nobody marked or cracked plaster next door can take days to sort out. Within two hours, the area should be closed off and the right person called, such as the utility, an engineer or the project manager. The crew moves to work the problem doesn't touch.
How does a demolition field supervisor work alongside the GC's superintendent?
On a renovation, demolition often runs while other trades are already working in the building. The supervisor brings next week's demolition areas to the superintendent's coordination meeting, so nobody books electricians under a floor being opened or beside a wall coming down. If the schedule puts another trade there anyway, the supervisor holds that part of the work and calls the project manager. Where the two companies' safety rules differ, the crew follows the stricter one.
Which demolition tasks explain the template's weather and climbing lines?
They ship as written. On demolition sites they mean climbing over rubble piles and up the designated stairs as floors come out, and walking several sites a day. They also mean carrying an extinguisher, a barricade or a plank where it's needed, and long stretches outdoors in summer and winter. Name each one in your ad, along with the contact for accommodation requests.
