Average Mechanical Foreman Salary in Jamaica for 2026
A mechanical foreman in Jamaica earns about 335,800 JMD a year. That's 71% below the national average of 1,157,300 JMD.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Jamaica sit around 159,500 JMD a year, while the very top stretches to 525,700 JMD. Everything on this page is in Jamaican dollar (JMD, symbol $), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Jamaica, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a mechanical foreman make in Jamaica?
A typical mechanical foreman working in Jamaica brings home around 27,983 JMD a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 159,500 JMD, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 525,700 JMD for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior mechanical foreman working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How mechanical foreman pay ranges in Jamaica
A good way to think about salary in Jamaica is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all mechanical foremans in Jamaica earn less than 348,300 JMD a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 228,000 JMD (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 454,900 JMD (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of mechanical foremans sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 159,500 JMD. The highest stretch to 525,700 JMD, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Mechanical foreman pay by experience in Jamaica
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a mechanical foreman in Jamaica, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical mechanical foreman salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years189,300 JMD
- 2-5 Years+41% from previous267,100 JMD
- 5-10 Years+32% from previous351,900 JMD
- 10-15 Years+22% from previous430,500 JMD
- 15-20 Years+7% from previous459,300 JMD
- 20+ Years+9% from previous501,400 JMD
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 41%. That is the point at which a mechanical foreman typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Mechanical foreman pay by education in Jamaica
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving mechanical foreman pay in Jamaica. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average mechanical foreman salary in Jamaica broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- High School253,400 JMD
- Certificate or Diploma+71% from previous433,800 JMD
Mechanical foreman gender pay gap in Jamaica
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Jamaica is no exception. Male mechanical foremans in Jamaica earn an average of 345,700 JMD a year, while female mechanical foremans earn around 327,800 JMD. That works out to a 5% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Mechanical Foreman gender pay gap
5%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Jamaica.
Pay raises for a mechanical foreman in Jamaica
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Jamaica sees a raise of about 5% every 29 months, which works out to roughly 2% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Jamaica, the national average raise is around 5% every 28 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Jamaica:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare1%
- Travel
- Construction
- Education
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Mechanical foreman bonus rates in Jamaica
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
13% of mechanical foremans in Jamaica reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a mechanical foreman a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 87% of mechanical foremans reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Jamaica
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Mechanical foreman: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Jamaica is about 10% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
9%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Jamaica on average.
Mechanical foreman salary by city in Jamaica
Mechanical foreman pay is not even across Jamaica. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Kingston
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston | City | 367,900 JMD | 339,100 JMD | 197,600-553,800 JMD |
Mechanical Foreman in Jamaica: FAQs
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How much does a mechanical foreman make per month in Jamaica?
A mechanical foreman in Jamaica earns about 27,983 JMD a month before tax, based on an annual average of 335,800 JMD.
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What's the salary range for a mechanical foreman in Jamaica?
Entry-level mechanical foremans in Jamaica start near 159,500 JMD. Top-end pay reaches around 525,700 JMD. The middle 50% of earners sit between 228,000 and 454,900 JMD.
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Is the median mechanical foreman salary in Jamaica higher or lower than the average?
The median is 348,300 JMD, higher than the average of 335,800 JMD. Half of mechanical foremans in Jamaica earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for mechanical foremans in Jamaica?
Men working as a mechanical foreman in Jamaica earn around 5% more than women on average (345,700 vs 327,800 JMD a year).
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Do mechanical foremans in Jamaica get bonuses?
About 13% of mechanical foremans in Jamaica reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.
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Do mechanical foremans earn more in the public or private sector in Jamaica?
In Jamaica, the public sector pays a mechanical foreman about 10% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do mechanical foremans in Jamaica get a pay raise?
A mechanical foreman in Jamaica sees a raise of around 5% every 29 months, equivalent to roughly 2% a year.