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.
What it pays
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers earn a median of $35.79/hr — about $74,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $22.66/hr; the top 10% earn $52.28/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers earn a median of $35.79/hr — about $74,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $22.66/hr; the top 10% earn $52.28/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors; you're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 1.2% of first-line supervisors of production and operating workers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and hands-on.
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Quick questions
- How much does a first-line supervisors of production and operating worker make?
- The median pay is $35.79 per hour — roughly $74,500 a year, with the real range running from about $22.66/hr (10th percentile) to $52.28/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a first-line supervisors of production and operating worker?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a first-line supervisors of production and operating worker actually do all day?
- Enforce safety and sanitation regulations. Keep records of employees' attendance and hours worked. Inspect materials, products, or equipment to detect defects or malfunctions.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.