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First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers: Job Description

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 Do First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers Do?

The day-to-day responsibilities of first-line supervisors of production and operating workers span:

• 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.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Successful first-line supervisors of production and operating workers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Core Knowledge

Related Job Titles

Common job titles for this role include:

• Abattoir Supervisor
• Abrasive and Polished Products Supervisor
• Acid Supervisor
• Aerosol Supervisor
• Aging Department Supervisor
• Agricultural Chemicals Shift Superintendent
• Alteration Workroom Supervisor
• Alum Plant Supervisor

Employment and Demand

There are roughly 895,522 first-line supervisors of production and operating workers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -2.0% over the projection horizon.

How Much Do First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers Make?

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$59,340
Hourly median	$28.53
10th percentile	$37,996
25th percentile	$48,668
75th percentile	$70,012
90th percentile	$80,684

Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.

How Much Do First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers Make in Different U.S. States?

State	Annual median salary
Wyoming	$88,060
Connecticut	$82,800
Rhode Island	$81,000
New Jersey	$79,350
Colorado	$78,420
Minnesota	$78,170
Alaska	$77,740
New Hampshire	$77,720
Delaware	$77,390
New York	$77,210
Massachusetts	$76,980
Louisiana	$76,710
Washington	$76,500
Maine	$76,220
California	$75,250
South Carolina	$74,950
District of Columbia	$74,930
Wisconsin	$74,110
Maryland	$73,830
North Dakota	$73,700
Pennsylvania	$73,040
Arizona	$72,960
Kansas	$72,500
Virginia	$72,330
Missouri	$71,790
Vermont	$71,580
Iowa	$71,140
South Dakota	$70,950
Illinois	$69,960
Kentucky	$69,870
Nebraska	$68,890
Ohio	$67,980
Guam	$67,950
West Virginia	$67,800
Michigan	$67,450
Alabama	$67,210
Utah	$67,050
Indiana	$66,970
Oregon	$66,750
North Carolina	$66,640
Oklahoma	$66,610
Georgia	$66,260
Texas	$65,190
Montana	$65,140
Mississippi	$64,510
Nevada	$64,420
Hawaii	$63,420
Tennessee	$63,140
Idaho	$62,530
New Mexico	$61,740
Florida	$61,410
Arkansas	$61,110
Virgin Islands	$57,010
Puerto Rico	$38,970

Where First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers Earn the Most

Earnings for first-line supervisors of production and operating workers differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:

Region	Median annual wage	Share of U.S. jobs	Location quotient
New England	$78,735	4.7%	1.00
Middle Atlantic	$75,682	10.6%	0.79
Far Western US	$73,828	12.0%	0.74
Plains States	$72,969	8.3%	1.23
Rocky Mountains	$71,747	3.7%	0.96
Great Lakes	$69,236	20.8%	1.52
Southeast	$66,855	27.6%	1.28
Southwest	$66,117	11.7%	0.96

Where the Jobs Cluster

Metro area	State	Median annual wage	Employment
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT	CT	$102,450	1,070
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	WA	$102,420	480
Baton Rouge, LA	LA	$97,960	2,500
Lexington Park, MD	MD	$91,820	110
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	CA	$88,990	2,700
Longview-Kelso, WA	WA	$85,280	430
Billings, MT	MT	$84,460	420
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	CT	$83,560	3,840

Industry Breakdown

The largest employers of first-line supervisors of production and operating workers work in these industries:

Industry	Employment	Median annual wage
Manufacturing	497,140	$72,800
Retail Trade	38,940	$50,800
Wholesale Trade	32,660	$67,920
Other Services (except Public Administration)	14,770	$57,800
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	12,050	$77,740
Utilities	11,810	$126,140
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	11,680	$59,860
Construction	9,470	$76,370

First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers work in the following industries:

Tools and Technology

• Internet browser software: Apple Safari (hot technology)
• Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
• Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
• Time accounting software: Kronos Workforce Timekeeper (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)
• Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

Work Environment

The on-the-job environment of first-line supervisors of production and operating workers reflects the following characteristics:

• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
• Contact With Others
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
• Time Pressure

Getting Started in This Career

Entry-level first-line supervisors of production and operating workers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

• Industrial Production Managers (Supplemental)
• Industrial Engineers (Supplemental)
• Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians (Supplemental)
• First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers (Primary-Long)
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers (Primary-Long)
• First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers (Primary-Long)
• First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (Supplemental)
• First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services (Supplemental)

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: 51-1011.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers).