First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$74,450

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$58,630 – $91,680

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

673,430

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+1.8%

Growing slower than all jobs (0% to under 3.5%)

Openings a year (projected)

61,000

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 production and operating workers, such as inspectors, precision workers, machine setters and operators, assemblers, fabricators, and plant and system operators. Excludes team or work leaders.

Main tasks

• Enforce safety and sanitation regulations.
• Keep records of employees' attendance and hours worked.
• Inspect materials, products, or equipment to detect defects or malfunctions.
• Read and analyze charts, work orders, production schedules, and other records and reports to determine production requirements and to evaluate current production estimates and outputs.
• Plan and establish work schedules, assignments, and production sequences to meet production goals.
• Confer with other supervisors to coordinate operations and activities within or between departments.
• Interpret specifications, blueprints, job orders, and company policies and procedures for workers.
• Observe work and monitor gauges, dials, and other indicators to ensure that operators conform to production or processing standards.

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 1 programme 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.

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