What do they do?

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.

Also known as:

Assembly Supervisor, Converting Supervisor, Die Cast Supervisor, Electrical Supervisor, Fabrication Supervisor, Inspection Supervisor, Line Supervisor, Machining Supervisor, Manufacturing Supervisor, Melting Supervisor, Molding Supervisor, Packaging Supervisor, Paper Machine Supervisor, Paper Mill Supervisor, Paper Products Supervisor, Plant Supervisor, Preparation Supervisor, Press Supervisor, Printing Supervisor, Production Department Supervisor, Production Manager, Production Superintendent, Production Supervisor, Quality Assurance Manager (QA Manager), Quality Assurance Supervisor (QA Supervisor), Quality Control Manager (QC Manager), Quality Control Supervisor (QC Supervisor), Sawmill Supervisor, Shift Production Supervisor, Shipping Supervisor, Shop Foreman, Tool Room Supervisor, Warehouse Supervisor

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers is projected to show little or no change from 2022 to 2032.

Projected Employment For All United States

No Data Available
  • 0.3%

    Change

    Select a state to see its job growth rate ranking
    63,300

    Job Openings

    Select a state to see its net job growth ranking

Best colleges for First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • High school diploma equivalent  (38%)
  • Some college, no degree  (26%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (13%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (10%)
  • Associate's degree  (10%)
  • Master's degree  (3%)
  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (<1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

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People in this career often have these skills:

  • 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.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • 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.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • 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.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Enforce rules or regulations.
  • Record operational or production data.
  • Inspect production equipment.
  • Study blueprints or other instructions to determine equipment setup requirements.
  • Plan production or operational procedures or sequences.
  • Exchange information with colleagues.
  • Instruct workers to use equipment or perform technical procedures.
  • Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
  • Direct operational or production activities.
  • Evaluate employee performance.
  • Confer with others to resolve production problems or equipment malfunctions.
  • Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
  • Determine metal or plastic production methods.
  • Advise others on ways to improve processes or products.
  • Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
  • Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.
  • Install equipment attachments or components.
  • Perform human resources activities.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

careeronestop logo Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development

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