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.