Career Profile: First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 646,800 people employed as first-line supervisors of production and operating workers in the United States. The median annual salary is $61,790. Entry level employees earn approximately $38,070 per year and senior employees earn approximately $100,550 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Confer with management or subordinates to resolve worker problems, complaints, or grievances.
• 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.
• Recommend or implement measures to motivate employees and to improve production methods, equipment performance, product quality, or efficiency.
• Maintain operations data, such as time, production, and cost records, and prepare management reports of production results.
• 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.
• 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.
• Direct and coordinate the activities of employees engaged in the production or processing of goods, such as inspectors, machine setters, or fabricators.
• Conduct employee training in equipment operations or work and safety procedures, or assign employee training to experienced workers.
• Evaluate employee performance.
• Enforce safety and sanitation regulations.
• Keep records of employees' attendance and hours worked.
• Inspect materials, products, or equipment to detect defects or malfunctions.

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