First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$79,860

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$62,690 – $101,360

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

617,500

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+4.1%

At or above the all-jobs rate (3.5% to under 7%)

Openings a year (projected)

48,900

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of mechanics, installers, and repairers. May also advise customers on recommended services. Excludes team or work leaders.

Main tasks

• Inspect, test, and measure completed work, using devices such as hand tools or gauges to verify conformance to standards or repair requirements.
• Inspect and monitor work areas, examine tools and equipment, and provide employee safety training to prevent, detect, and correct unsafe conditions or violations of procedures and safety rules.
• Interpret specifications, blueprints, or job orders to construct templates and lay out reference points for workers.
• Monitor employees' work levels and review work performance.
• Perform skilled repair or maintenance operations, using equipment such as hand or power tools, hydraulic presses or shears, or welding equipment.
• Compute estimates and actual costs of factors such as materials, labor, or outside contractors.
• Monitor tool and part inventories and the condition and maintenance of shops to ensure adequate working conditions.
• Requisition materials and supplies, such as tools, equipment, or replacement parts.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

High school diploma or equivalent

Work experience in a related job: less than 5 years

O*NET Job Zone 3

Medium preparation

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 12 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

• First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

  $74,450 median · +1.8% projected

• First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers

  $79,920 median · +5% projected

• First-Line Supervisors of Passenger Attendants

  $62,890 median · +3% projected

• First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators

  $62,890 median · +3% projected

• First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

  $69,500 median · +0.1% projected

• First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers

  $49,100 median · +3.2% projected