Skip to main contentReport an accessibility problem
ASU for LifeASU for Life

First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

ManufacturingO*NET 51-1011.00United States

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.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$73,994

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
+5.1%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
High school diploma or less

47% of the workforce

Employment
686.04K jobs

Growing to 720.77K by 2035

Explore this career by location

Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

Showing United States

Loading available locations…

Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

Loading related ASU learning

The work

What first-line supervisors of production and operating workers do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • Enforce safety and sanitation regulations.
  • 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.
  • Inspect materials, products, or equipment to detect defects or malfunctions.
  • Keep records of employees' attendance and hours worked.
  • 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.
  • Direct and coordinate the activities of employees engaged in the production or processing of goods, such as inspectors, machine setters, or fabricators.
  • Observe work and monitor gauges, dials, and other indicators to ensure that operators conform to production or processing standards.
  • Interpret specifications, blueprints, job orders, and company policies and procedures for workers.
  • Confer with management or subordinates to resolve worker problems, complaints, or grievances.
  • Conduct employee training in equipment operations or work and safety procedures, or assign employee training to experienced workers.
  • Evaluate employee performance.
  • Determine standards, budgets, production goals, and rates, based on company policies, equipment and labor availability, and workloads.
  • Calculate labor and equipment requirements and production specifications, using standard formulas.
  • Maintain operations data, such as time, production, and cost records, and prepare management reports of production results.
  • Recommend or implement measures to motivate employees and to improve production methods, equipment performance, product quality, or efficiency.
  • Requisition materials, supplies, equipment parts, or repair services.
  • Set up and adjust machines and equipment.
  • Recommend or execute personnel actions, such as hirings, evaluations, or promotions.
  • Plan and develop new products and production processes.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$46,626
25th percentile
$58,108
50th percentile
$73,994
75th percentile
$91,418
90th percentile
$108,839

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $73,994 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+5.1%average or slower
2025686,040 jobs
2035 projected720,772 jobs

34,732 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less
47%
Some college
15%
Associate degree
13.6%
Bachelor's degree
12%
Certificate
11.6%
Master's or Professional degree
0.9%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Continuous Improvement Process
  • Lean Manufacturing
  • Workflow Management
  • Process Improvement
  • Quality Management
  • Production Process
  • Machinery
  • Auditing
  • Performance Review
  • Safety Standards
  • Production Management
  • Lifting Ability
  • Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
  • Manufacturing Processes
  • Production Planning
  • Good Manufacturing Practices
  • Manufacturing Operations
  • Housekeeping
  • Operations Management
  • Project Management

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Production Supervisors19,662 postings
  2. 02Manufacturing Supervisors3,177 postings
  3. 03Foremen1,355 postings
  4. 04Production Managers1,348 postings
  5. 05Production Leads1,235 postings
  6. 06Supervisors948 postings
  7. 07Production Shift Supervisors813 postings
  8. 08Manufacturing Production Supervisors806 postings
  9. 09Team Leads699 postings
  10. 10Plant Supervisors661 postings
  11. 11Area Managers568 postings
  12. 12Assembly Supervisors493 postings
  13. 13Fabrication Supervisors453 postings
  14. 14Production Superintendents410 postings
  15. 15Sheet Metal Foremen402 postings
  16. 16General Foremen387 postings
  17. 17Shift Supervisors316 postings
  18. 18Machine Shop Supervisors306 postings
  19. 19Food Production Supervisors281 postings
  20. 20Manufacturing Operations Supervisors264 postings

Top employers

  1. 01GPAC1,159 postings
  2. 02Aerotek1,018 postings
  3. 03Aramark531 postings
  4. 04Amazon470 postings
  5. 05Huntington Ingalls Industries380 postings
  6. 06JBS Foods304 postings
  7. 07ManpowerGroup282 postings
  8. 08Tyson Foods275 postings
  9. 09Precision Castparts240 postings
  10. 10Randstad240 postings
  11. 11CRH Americas235 postings
  12. 12Smurfit Westrock225 postings
  13. 13Eaton Corporation213 postings
  14. 14Lockheed Martin207 postings
  15. 15Cintas205 postings
  16. 16Ford204 postings
  17. 17Pilgrim's Pride201 postings
  18. 18Carvana191 postings
  19. 19Stellantis181 postings
  20. 20CRH plc172 postings

Keep looking

Related careers

Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders

Median pay
$46,467
Employment outlook
+0.5%

Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers

Median pay
$65,331
Employment outlook
−7.4%

Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate

Median pay
$68,507
Employment outlook
−2.3%

Appraisers of Personal and Business Property

Median pay
$68,507
Employment outlook
−2.3%