JobAfterNext

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.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$74,450
Employment, U.S.673,430
Median hourly wage$35.79
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$47,130$58,630$74,450$91,680$108,750
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama20,670$73,0602.26
Alaska1,110$77,9600.79
Arizona8,720$75,3300.62
Arkansas11,000$63,0901.95
California48,550$76,8400.62
Colorado9,580$78,8900.77
Connecticut9,150$83,1501.25
Delaware1,450$79,1000.69
District of Columbia350$80,0300.11
Florida27,710$63,9500.64
Georgia26,190$69,1701.24
Hawaii1,500$71,9900.55
Idaho3,900$70,8901.05
Illinois29,640$75,2001.12
Indiana26,870$73,9501.94
Iowa10,130$74,7501.50
Kansas7,980$74,4801.28
Kentucky13,820$72,4901.60
Louisiana9,350$77,5201.12
Maine2,970$78,9701.07
Maryland6,100$78,5200.51
Massachusetts12,390$79,9200.79
Michigan26,650$72,1701.40
Minnesota13,380$78,5501.05
Mississippi8,230$68,7201.63
Missouri15,430$73,2101.21
Montana1,860$68,7600.84
Nebraska6,040$72,2001.36
Nevada3,600$68,2700.54
New Hampshire3,000$79,3101.01
New Jersey15,040$81,1100.81
New Mexico2,520$64,6400.67
New York20,830$78,5800.50
North Carolina22,240$69,6401.04
North Dakota1,650$76,3500.89
Ohio31,980$72,1601.33
Oklahoma9,570$70,0001.29
Oregon8,180$73,5800.96
Pennsylvania28,900$74,9901.10
Rhode Island2,660$81,6501.22
South Carolina14,570$77,5001.46
South Dakota1,930$73,0400.97
Tennessee18,960$65,3101.33
Texas58,930$70,1400.97
Utah9,040$71,2201.20
Vermont1,000$75,5400.76
Virginia13,530$74,1500.76
Washington14,500$79,3100.94
West Virginia3,120$68,9901.03
Wisconsin25,500$74,8402.00
Wyoming1,470$90,3901.21

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Industrial Production Managers40.978
2First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand1-20.972
3First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers30.971
4Wind Energy Operations Managers30.962
5Biomass Power Plant Managers40.961
6First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers30.960
7Chefs and Head Cooks30.960
8First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers30.956
9Facilities Managers30.955
10Hydroelectric Production Managers30.954

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and RepairersTroubleshooting1.250.971
Wind Energy Operations ManagersNegotiation0.760.962
Chefs and Head CooksManagement of Material Resources0.760.960
Food Service ManagersService Orientation0.870.939
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and TechniciansScience2.630.933
Agricultural InspectorsQuality Control Analysis0.760.932

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers, excluding software First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Employee scheduling software6 of 2034.6x
Computerized maintenance management system CMMS6 of 209.2x
Payroll software5 of 2013.6x
Distributed control system DCS4 of 2018.5x
Inventory control software4 of 2011.5x
Oracle Primavera Systems3 of 2010.7x
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management5 of 204.0x
Sage 50 Accounting4 of 204.4x
Mapping software3 of 206.3x
Work scheduling software3 of 205.5x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Active ListeningEssential skill 3.88 4.00
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.88 3.88
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 3.88 3.75
SpeakingEssential skill 3.88 3.75
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.75 3.88
MonitoringEssential skill 3.75 3.88
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.75 3.88
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 3.75 3.75
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.62 3.25
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 3.50 3.75
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.12 3.62
WritingEssential skill 3.12 3.62
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 3.12 3.38
Active LearningEssential skill 3.12 3.12
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.12 3.12
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.12 3.00
InstructingTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
NegotiationTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.00 2.88
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 2.88 2.75
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 2.75 2.75
MathematicsEssential skill 2.38 2.88
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 2.25 2.62
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 2.25 2.50
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 2.25 2.25
RepairingTransferable skill 2.25 2.12
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 2.12 2.62
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 2.12 2.12
Technology DesignTransferable skill 2.00 1.25
ScienceEssential skill 1.50 0.62
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.25not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.12not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Production and Processing 4.34 4.60
Administration and Management 4.10 4.06
Personnel and Human Resources 3.58 4.02
English Language 3.51 3.48
Computers and Electronics 3.24 3.82
Mathematics 3.24 3.71
Administrative 3.22 3.40
Education and Training 3.15 3.90
Mechanical 3.15 3.46
Engineering and Technology 3.08 3.77
Customer and Personal Service 2.94 2.95
Public Safety and Security 2.94 2.78
Design 2.87 2.88
Psychology 2.55 2.89
Building and Construction 2.54 2.15
Transportation 2.28 2.06
Sales and Marketing 2.24 2.10
Economics and Accounting 2.20 2.00
Communications and Media 2.15 1.96
Chemistry 2.13 2.15
Sociology and Anthropology 2.05 1.44
Physics 2.04 1.56
Law and Government 1.98 1.39
Philosophy and Theology 1.79 1.37
Food Production 1.76 1.23
Therapy and Counseling 1.66 1.43
Telecommunications 1.58 1.00
Geography 1.46 0.67
Foreign Language 1.44 0.72
Biology 1.43not rated
Medicine and Dentistry 1.43 0.73
History and Archeology 1.31not rated
Fine Arts 1.08not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Comprehension 4.00 4.00
Oral Expression 4.00 4.00
Problem Sensitivity 4.00 3.88
Deductive Reasoning 3.75 3.75
Speech Clarity 3.75 3.62
Written Comprehension 3.75 3.62
Speech Recognition 3.75 3.38
Written Expression 3.62 3.75
Inductive Reasoning 3.62 3.62
Information Ordering 3.25 3.62
Category Flexibility 3.25 3.00
Near Vision 3.25 3.00
Originality 3.12 3.62
Fluency of Ideas 3.12 3.25
Visualization 3.12 3.12
Perceptual Speed 3.12 3.00
Selective Attention 3.00 3.12
Far Vision 3.00 3.00
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.00 2.88
Flexibility of Closure 3.00 2.88
Manual Dexterity 3.00 2.88
Mathematical Reasoning 3.00 2.88
Control Precision 2.88 3.00
Finger Dexterity 2.88 3.00
Time Sharing 2.88 3.00
Number Facility 2.88 2.88
Speed of Closure 2.75 2.38
Multilimb Coordination 2.62 2.62
Reaction Time 2.50 2.88
Auditory Attention 2.50 2.75
Trunk Strength 2.25 2.38
Visual Color Discrimination 2.25 2.38
Rate Control 2.25 2.25
Response Orientation 2.25 2.00
Depth Perception 2.12 2.50
Hearing Sensitivity 2.12 2.50
Memorization 2.12 2.38
Static Strength 2.12 2.00
Dynamic Strength 2.00 2.00
Extent Flexibility 2.00 2.00
Gross Body Coordination 2.00 2.00
Stamina 2.00 2.00
Wrist-Finger Speed 2.00 2.00
Gross Body Equilibrium 2.00 1.25
Peripheral Vision 2.00 1.12
Sound Localization 2.00 1.00
Spatial Orientation 2.00 1.00
Glare Sensitivity 1.88 1.12
Speed of Limb Movement 1.62 1.25
Night Vision 1.62 0.62
Explosive Strength 1.38 0.88
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 51
  • Intacct ERP
  • Integrated materials management systems
  • Materials management software
  • Microsoft Axapta
  • Microsoft Exchange
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • Microsoft Total Quality Control Management
  • Minitab
  • NetSuite NetERP
  • Operational databases
  • Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
  • QA Software QMS Materials Management
  • Resource planning software
  • Retain Resource Planning
  • SAP Business One
  • SYSPRO business software
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
  • Technology Group International Enterprise 21 ERP
  • Timekeeping software
  • Total quality management TQM software
  • Work Technology WorkTech Time

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Elkhart-Goshen, IN2,3004.15$65,150
Sheboygan, WI1,0503.99$76,710
Dalton, GA1,1203.97$59,370
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN1,7203.88$74,770
Decatur, AL9503.57$84,270
Spartanburg, SC2,3803.33$92,070
Wausau, WI1,0003.32$73,790
Columbus, IN6903.20$75,640
Fond du Lac, WI5502.91$70,260
Hinesville, GA2402.76$58,610

More metros, other thresholds