First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
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.
- Median pay
- $74,450
- Doing it now
- 679,900
- By 2035
- Up 1.8%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
a year
across the country
61,000 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Enforce safety and sanitation regulations.
- Direct and coordinate the activities of employees engaged in the production or processing of goods, such as inspectors, machine setters, or fabricators.
- 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.
- Confer with other supervisors to coordinate operations and activities within or between departments.
- Plan and establish work schedules, assignments, and production sequences to meet production goals.
- Inspect materials, products, or equipment to detect defects or malfunctions.
- Observe work and monitor gauges, dials, and other indicators to ensure that operators conform to production or processing standards.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Business Administration, Management and OperationsSee 1,587 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Leading and persuading
Organised and precise
Hands-on and practical
Careers like this one
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers$79,860
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers$48,520
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$107,230
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$44,080
- First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers$58,430
- Food Service Managers$69,390
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $74,450 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.