SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-1011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $47,130 | $3,928 | $906 | $22.66 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $58,630 | $4,886 | $1,128 | $28.19 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $74,450 | $6,204 | $1,432 | $35.79 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $91,680 | $7,640 | $1,763 | $44.08 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $108,750 | $9,062 | $2,091 | $52.28 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers is $74,450, which is 46% higher. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 8 by median pay. With 673,430 jobs, it makes up about 43 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Wyoming ($90,390), Connecticut ($83,150) and Rhode Island ($81,650). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($45,100), Virgin Islands ($57,190) and Guam ($57,440). The most jobs were in Texas (58,930), California (48,550) and Ohio (31,980). The occupation is most concentrated in Alabama, where its share of all jobs is 2.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 1,470 | $90,390 | $95,100 | $43.46 |
| Connecticut | 9,150 | $83,150 | $85,810 | $39.98 |
| Rhode Island | 2,660 | $81,650 | $85,280 | $39.25 |
| New Jersey | 15,040 | $81,110 | $84,850 | $38.99 |
| District of Columbia | 350 | $80,030 | $87,500 | $38.47 |
| Massachusetts | 12,390 | $79,920 | $83,140 | $38.42 |
| New Hampshire | 3,000 | $79,310 | $83,350 | $38.13 |
| Washington | 14,500 | $79,310 | $84,000 | $38.13 |
| Delaware | 1,450 | $79,100 | $84,350 | $38.03 |
| Maine | 2,970 | $78,970 | $78,290 | $37.97 |
| Colorado | 9,580 | $78,890 | $84,740 | $37.93 |
| New York | 20,830 | $78,580 | $82,260 | $37.78 |
| Minnesota | 13,380 | $78,550 | $80,340 | $37.76 |
| Maryland | 6,100 | $78,520 | $82,370 | $37.75 |
| Alaska | 1,110 | $77,960 | $82,100 | $37.48 |
| Louisiana | 9,350 | $77,520 | $87,340 | $37.27 |
| South Carolina | 14,570 | $77,500 | $78,250 | $37.26 |
| California | 48,550 | $76,840 | $82,000 | $36.94 |
| North Dakota | 1,650 | $76,350 | $80,420 | $36.71 |
| Vermont | 1,000 | $75,540 | $75,640 | $36.32 |
| Arizona | 8,720 | $75,330 | $77,690 | $36.22 |
| Illinois | 29,640 | $75,200 | $76,340 | $36.16 |
| Pennsylvania | 28,900 | $74,990 | $75,250 | $36.05 |
| Wisconsin | 25,500 | $74,840 | $75,510 | $35.98 |
| Iowa | 10,130 | $74,750 | $74,190 | $35.94 |
| Kansas | 7,980 | $74,480 | $76,420 | $35.81 |
| Virginia | 13,530 | $74,150 | $76,310 | $35.65 |
| Indiana | 26,870 | $73,950 | $74,450 | $35.55 |
| Oregon | 8,180 | $73,580 | $75,270 | $35.38 |
| Missouri | 15,430 | $73,210 | $73,400 | $35.20 |
| Alabama | 20,670 | $73,060 | $76,100 | $35.13 |
| South Dakota | 1,930 | $73,040 | $73,610 | $35.12 |
| Kentucky | 13,820 | $72,490 | $74,710 | $34.85 |
| Nebraska | 6,040 | $72,200 | $73,780 | $34.71 |
| Michigan | 26,650 | $72,170 | $73,570 | $34.70 |
| Ohio | 31,980 | $72,160 | $73,300 | $34.69 |
| Hawaii | 1,500 | $71,990 | $79,250 | $34.61 |
| Utah | 9,040 | $71,220 | $74,620 | $34.24 |
| Idaho | 3,900 | $70,890 | $73,890 | $34.08 |
| Texas | 58,930 | $70,140 | $74,590 | $33.72 |
| Oklahoma | 9,570 | $70,000 | $74,690 | $33.66 |
| North Carolina | 22,240 | $69,640 | $72,480 | $33.48 |
| Georgia | 26,190 | $69,170 | $73,260 | $33.25 |
| West Virginia | 3,120 | $68,990 | $75,160 | $33.17 |
| Montana | 1,860 | $68,760 | $73,880 | $33.06 |
| Mississippi | 8,230 | $68,720 | $73,980 | $33.04 |
| Nevada | 3,600 | $68,270 | $73,190 | $32.82 |
| Tennessee | 18,960 | $65,310 | $71,330 | $31.40 |
| New Mexico | 2,520 | $64,640 | $74,660 | $31.08 |
| Florida | 27,710 | $63,950 | $71,290 | $30.75 |
| Arkansas | 11,000 | $63,090 | $69,930 | $30.33 |
| Guam | 110 | $57,440 | $66,150 | $27.61 |
| Virgin Islands | 60 | $57,190 | $64,500 | $27.50 |
| Puerto Rico | 4,030 | $45,100 | $52,860 | $21.68 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Gas Plant Operators$87,820 a year
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators$78,620 a year
- Chemical Plant and System Operators$78,120 a year
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$68,120 a year
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$65,380 a year
- Tool and Die Makers$64,050 a year
Common questions
How much do First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $74,450 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $47,130 and the highest-paid 10% more than $108,750.
How many people work as First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers?
About 673,430 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.