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First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers: Career Overview

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

What Tasks Do First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers Take On?

The core tasks performed by first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers span:

  • 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.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Effective first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Most Important Skills

The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Monitoring  4.0 / 5
0
5
Management of Personnel Resources  3.9 / 5
0
5
Coordination  3.8 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  3.8 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.8 / 5
0
5
Judgment and Decision Making  3.8 / 5
0
5

Core Knowledge

Administration and Management  4.0 / 5
0
5
Mechanical  3.8 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  3.7 / 5
0
5
Administrative  3.3 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.2 / 5
0
5
Personnel and Human Resources  3.2 / 5
0
5

Other First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers Job Titles

Common job titles for this role include:

  • AC Installer Supervisor (Air-Conditioning Installer Supervisor)
  • AC Supervisor (Air Conditioning Supervisor)
  • Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor
  • Airport Maintenance Chief
  • Airport Skilled Maintenance Supervisor
  • Apartment Maintenance Supervisor
  • Appliance Service Supervisor
  • Artillery Maintenance Supervisor

Employment and Demand

There are about 108,834 first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +1.2% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers Pay

Statistic Value
Annual median $85,639
Hourly median $41.17
10th percentile $52,686
25th percentile $69,163
75th percentile $102,115
90th percentile $118,592

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers Salary by State

State Annual median salary
Alaska $99,030
District of Columbia $93,170
Washington $92,820
California $89,880
New Jersey $88,120
Connecticut $87,850
Massachusetts $86,780
Hawaii $86,460
North Dakota $85,380
Wyoming $85,080
New York $85,000
Minnesota $84,410
Delaware $83,200
New Hampshire $82,800
Illinois $82,680
Colorado $81,450
Oregon $81,290
Maryland $81,200
Wisconsin $80,670
Virginia $80,650
Vermont $80,330
Rhode Island $80,100
Indiana $79,530
South Dakota $79,320
Iowa $77,980
Ohio $77,430
Utah $77,380
Michigan $77,340
Pennsylvania $77,340
Nevada $76,910
Maine $76,720
Kansas $76,380
Nebraska $76,030
Montana $75,960
Missouri $75,160
Georgia $75,120
Texas $75,050
Idaho $74,740
South Carolina $74,360
Tennessee $73,910
Arizona $73,760
North Carolina $73,730
New Mexico $73,680
Kentucky $73,070
Alabama $73,020
Oklahoma $72,920
Florida $72,280
Louisiana $71,970
Mississippi $68,440
West Virginia $67,850
Arkansas $67,590
Virgin Islands $58,660
Guam $47,600
Puerto Rico $43,680

Pay by U.S. Region

Pay for first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers vary by region. The following regions pay the most:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Far Western US $88,947 13.9% 0.86
New England $84,971 4.5% 0.94
Middle Atlantic $82,950 12.5% 0.84
Great Lakes $79,447 12.9% 0.92
Rocky Mountains $79,400 4.6% 1.19
Plains States $78,640 6.6% 0.97
Southwest $74,616 15.5% 1.24
Southeast $73,523 28.8% 1.19

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA WA $110,140 1,090
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CA $104,020 2,290
Longview-Kelso, WA WA $101,150 240
Vallejo, CA CA $100,500 650
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $100,150 6,250
Anchorage, AK AK $97,360 1,080
Fairbanks-College, AK AK $96,290 290
Lexington Park, MD MD $96,060 310

Industry Breakdown

Most first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers work in these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Retail Trade 72,420 $64,480
Construction 64,640 $80,270
Other Services (except Public Administration) 63,560 $68,770
Manufacturing 63,050 $92,510
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 58,270 $65,080
Wholesale Trade 41,680 $80,830
Transportation and Warehousing 39,960 $92,210
Utilities 24,670 $122,610
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers sectors

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers industries

Tech Stack

  • Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
  • Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
  • Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
  • Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
  • Project management software: Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (hot technology)
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)

The Day-to-Day Environment

The work environment for first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers reflects the following characteristics:

  • Telephone Conversations
  • Contact With Others
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate

Education and Training

Entry-level first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

Where to Study

Future first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers commonly pursue programs in:

Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians

9 programs across 3 majors

Construction Trades

2 programs across 1 majors

About the Data

This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 49-1011.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers).

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