Industrial construction field supervisor job description
An industrial construction field supervisor runs the crews on a plant or warehouse job each day, from the morning safety talk to the last permit closed. They check work areas with the plant's operators, keep the crafts on schedule, and settle site problems before they reach the superintendent.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, commercial and industrial building contractors · BLS, May 2025
Oversees day-to-day operations on industrial construction sites while ensuring strict adherence to safety protocols and quality standards. Acts as a critical link between management and on-site teams to resolve challenges promptly and efficiently. Enhances operational efficiency and contributes to the overall growth and reputation of the company. Maintains a proactive approach to site inspections, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and company policies.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Conducts regular site inspections to verify safety standards and work quality.
Implements corrective measures for immediate resolution of any on-site challenges.
Collaborates with project managers to optimize resources and maintain project schedules.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Inspect job sites at the start of each shift to ensure compliance with safety and operational protocols.
Hold daily briefings with team members to review tasks, discuss challenges, and align on project goals.
Monitor and report on key operational metrics, identifying areas for improvement.
Engage with contractors and stakeholders to update progress and address any arising issues.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Safety Compliance Rate: 100% adherence to safety protocols.
Job Site Inspection Completion Rate: 95% of scheduled inspections completed per week.
On-site Issue Resolution Time: Average resolution within 4 hours.
Employee Productivity: Achieve a 10% improvement in daily output within the first quarter.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Minimum of 3 years’ experience in industrial construction or related field.
Proven track record in supervising field operations and enforcing safety standards.
Excellent communication and leadership skills for managing diverse teams.
Strong problem-solving ability with a focus on proactive operational improvement.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience working in large-scale industrial construction projects.
Familiarity with project management software and safety regulation databases.
Background in training and mentoring new staff within an industrial context.
Demonstrated ability to align site operations with strategic business objectives.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and perform physical tasks on active construction sites.
Comfortable working in varying weather conditions including high heat and cold environments.
Frequent standing, walking, and moderate climbing on construction sites.
Occasional exposure to loud noise and construction site machinery.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM with occasional extended hours as needed.
Some travel between job sites expected on a daily basis.
Occasional on-call duties during emergencies or critical project phases.
Fast-paced, hands-on environment requiring adaptability and quick decision-making.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range: $65,000 - $80,000 USD per year, depending on experience.
Eligible for performance-based bonuses and incentive programs.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans.
401k plan with company match and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of innovation, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
We emphasize personal and professional growth through ongoing training and mentorship programs.
Our environment encourages open communication, proactive problem-solving, and shared success.
Join our team and be part of a dynamic company that is dedicated to quality workmanship and client satisfaction.
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
Any field supervisor runs crews and checks the work. On an industrial job, the site belongs to a plant that keeps running, and the rules come from OSHA, the state and the owner.
Find the plant's buried lines before digging
OSHA's excavation rule says the likely location of buried lines must be worked out before anyone opens a hole, and the utility or owner must be asked to mark them. At a plant, the owner is often the one who knows. Process piping, fire water mains and electrical duct banks run under the yard. Get the plant's drawings, then find the exact spot by safe means, such as hand digging, as the crew gets close. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1926.651, Specific excavation requirements.
Lanyards clip to the basket, not the pipe rack
Boom lifts are common on plant jobs, and pipe racks and steel are always within reach. OSHA's aerial lift rule says a worker stays firmly on the floor of the basket, with no sitting or climbing on its edge and no planks or ladders for extra height, and keeps a lanyard attached to the boom or basket. Check this on every walk. It's an easy shortcut to take when a hanger sits just out of reach. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1926.453, Aerial lifts.
Oregon wants a safety meeting before longer jobs
Oregon OSHA lets an employer whose crews mostly report to construction sites hold safety meetings instead of running a safety committee. Construction employers that do must meet at least monthly and before each job that lasts more than a week, on paid company time. The written record lists the hazards discussed, the date and who attended, and is kept for three years. The field supervisor usually leads these, so get the sign-in sheet back to the office. Source: Oregon OSHA: OAR 437-001-0765, Safety committees and safety meetings.
The unit operator signs off each morning
At many plants, contract crews can't start until the unit operator issues a daily work permit. The operator walks the area, checks for open lines or gas, and signs. A supervisor who builds a good working habit with operators gets permits early. One who argues with them can lose the first hours of every shift.
Count what got installed, not just the hours
Industrial owners often measure progress in units put in place: steel tonnage set, pipe footage hung, welds done. Ask your supervisor for those counts each day, by area and crew, next to the hours worked. They show whether a crew is ahead or behind long before the monthly report does.
How much industrial construction field supervisors make
The closest BLS group for industrial construction field supervisors is First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers. First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $39.17 an hour ($81,480 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $79,920 median for First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in all industries. About 106,330 of the 812,210 First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in that survey work for commercial and industrial building contractors.
Usually a salary or a high hourly rate with overtime, plus the bonus the template names. In a union shop, the craft agreement may set a foreman's pay instead. The template's pay band tops out just short of the BLS median here.
Commercial and industrial building contractors
$81,480$81,480 median Middle half $71,510–$102,970 10th–90th $59,780–$129,520
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
Commercial and industrial building contractors
$59,780
$71,510
$81,480
$102,970
$129,520
All industries
$53,280
$63,400
$79,920
$101,460
$128,260
BLS reports industrial and commercial building contractors together. 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
Runs a mix of crafts, such as pipefitters, ironworkers and millwrights, without favoring one
Reads plant drawings, including piping isometrics and steel erection drawings
Spots unsafe setups on lifts, scaffolds and in excavations, and stops the work
Writes a clear daily report with hours, quantities and problems
Stays calm and plain-spoken with plant operators and the owner's safety staff
Teach these on the job
Your daily report and timecard app
Each owner's permit system and sign-in rules
The safety meeting records your state asks for
Reading a lift plan before a crane pick
Tracking installed quantities by area and cost code
Most supervisors here work from a phone or tablet running the company's daily report and time app, such as Procore or HCSS HeavyJob, plus the plant's paper permits. On site they carry a radio on the plant's channel and any gas monitor the owner requires. Name your report app in the ad.
Industrial construction 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 · Responding to plant alarms
Mid-shift, the plant sounds an alarm and operations pulls all permits. Your crew wants to finish one weld. What do you do?
A strong answer: Stops immediately, makes the work safe, musters by the site plan, and restarts only after permits are reissued.
Behavioral · Training new workers
Tell me about a new worker you brought up to speed in an industrial setting. What did you do?
A strong answer: Paired them with an experienced hand, explained site rules and checked their understanding.
Treat the template's targets as samples. Build real ones from a few months of daily reports and inspection logs, then go over them with the supervisor and the superintendent.
Safety Compliance Rate
On each site walk, count the safety items checked and the ones found out of line, such as lanyards, barricades or open permits. Track the results by crew each week.
Job Site Inspection Completion Rate
Compare the inspections on the weekly plan with the signed forms turned in. Count only forms that list the area, the time and what was fixed.
On-site Issue Resolution Time
Log each field problem when it's raised, like a missing part or a drawing conflict, and when it's cleared. Note who it waited on: the plant, engineering or your own crew.
Employee Productivity
Divide each day's installed quantities by the crew hours spent on them. Compare crews doing similar work, not one craft against another.
Career path
Skilled tradespersonLearns one craft deeply and leads small tasks for the foreman.
Field supervisorRuns crews of several crafts on one plant job and owns the daily safety walk.
SuperintendentTakes charge of a whole site, its schedule and every foreman on it.
Operations managerPlans people and machines across all of the company's industrial jobs.
Other roles in an industrial construction business
How big a crew can one industrial field supervisor run?
That turns on how far apart the work areas are and how many permits they need. One supervisor can watch a large crew setting steel in one area. Crews scattered across a plant, each with its own permit and fire watch, need more eyes. Many contractors put a working foreman over each small crew and a field supervisor over the foremen. If your supervisor can't get to every work area during the shift, the span is too wide.
How much does an industrial construction field supervisor make?
First-Line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $39.17 an hour ($81,480 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $71,510 and $102,970 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Should a union shop's field supervisor carry a union card?
Often, yes. In union work, foremen usually come from the craft and work under its agreement. A general foreman over several crafts may be salaried staff instead. Read your agreements before you write the posting, and state plainly if the job is union, open shop or both, since good candidates ask that first.
Who reports a serious injury on an industrial job, and how fast?
Get the worker care first, then call the office right away. OSHA must hear about a work-related death within eight hours. A work injury that leads to an amputation, the loss of an eye or an in-patient hospital admission must be reported within 24 hours. The supervisor usually doesn't make that call, but the office can't meet the deadline without a fast heads-up. The plant will want its own report too. In a state with its own OSHA program, such as Oregon, check that state's reporting rule as well.
On a plant job, what do the lifting, weather and climbing lines in the template involve?
Hauling tools, parts and gear as heavy as the template's limit, climbing ladders and stairs to pipe racks and platforms, and crossing a big site again and again through summer and winter. Near running machines, earplugs or muffs are part of the day. List each of these in the posting as a task. When a strong candidate asks about doing one differently, work it out together.
