First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 51-1011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$74,443
$35.79/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers is $74,443 per year ($35.79/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $58,635 and $91,686 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $108,742 per year. There are approximately 673,430 first-line supervisors of production and operating workers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+1.2%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
68K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
699K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
1% from new growth99% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Plastics Product Manufacturing
NAICS 326100
29K
$69,840
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
NAICS 4450A1
27K
$51,030
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)
NAICS 3330A1
26K
$76,550
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)
NAICS 3320A2
24K
$74,050
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 336300
23K
$70,140
Wage range across top 5 industries: $51,030 to $76,550 (50% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$22.66
$47,133
P25
$28.19
$58,635
P50MEDIAN
$35.79
$74,443
P75
$44.08
$91,686
P90
$52.28
$108,742
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average first-line supervisors of production and operating workers salary?
The national median salary for First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers is $74,443 per year ($35.79/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $58,635 and $91,686 annually.
How much do top-earning first-line supervisors of production and operating workers make?
The 90th percentile salary for First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers is $108,742 per year ($52.28/hr). The 75th percentile is $91,686 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for first-line supervisors of production and operating workers?
Entry-level First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $47,133 per year ($22.66/hr). The 25th percentile is $58,635 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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