Best programs to become a first-line supervisor
You do not need a college degree to become a first-line supervisor. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. It also expects 5 years or more of related work experience. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Electrician, Carpentry/Carpenter and Plumbing Technology/Plumber (IPEDS completions).
18 college programs at 795 schools train first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers, graduating 55,833 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $79,920 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.
Best programs to study to become a first-line supervisor
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 46.0302 | 35,302 | 63.2% | 505 | $39,766 | $9,500 |
| 2 | CIP 46.0201 | 6,053 | 10.8% | 205 | $37,611 | $12,610 |
| 3 | CIP 46.0503 | 3,426 | 6.1% | 150 | $35,730 | $9,500 |
| 4 | Construction Trades, Generalmain feeder CIP 46.0000 | 2,765 | 5.0% | 86 | $33,868 | $9,500 |
| 5 | CIP 46.0401 | 2,461 | 4.4% | 97 | $31,641 | $9,500 |
| 6 | CIP 46.0415 | 2,137 | 3.8% | 127 | $31,641 | $9,500 |
| 7 | CIP 46.0412 | 1,748 | 3.1% | 73 | $31,641 | $9,500 |
| 8 | CIP 46.0502 | 698 | 1.3% | 21 | $35,730 | $9,500 |
| 9 | Mason/Masonrymain feeder CIP 46.0101 | 422 | 0.8% | 33 | $33,525 | — |
| 10 | CIP 46.0403 | 334 | 0.6% | 31 | $31,641 | $9,500 |
| 11 | CIP 46.0404 | 254 | 0.5% | 3 | $31,641 | $9,500 |
| 12 | CIP 46.0402 | 79 | 0.1% | 6 | $31,641 | $9,500 |
| 13 | CIP 46.0410 | 42 | 0.1% | 3 | $31,641 | $9,500 |
| 14 | CIP 46.0414 | 35 | 0.1% | 1 | $31,641 | $9,500 |
| 15 | CIP 46.0413 | 30 | 0.1% | 2 | $31,641 | $9,500 |
| 16 | CIP 46.0408 | 29 | 0.1% | 4 | $31,641 | $9,500 |
| 17 | CIP 46.0406 | 11 | 0.0% | 1 | $31,641 | $9,500 |
| 18 | CIP 46.0504 | 7 | 0.0% | 1 | $35,730 | $9,500 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN Public · 11 feeder programs | 1,794 | Electrician | 40% | — | — |
| 2 | Apex Technical School Long Island City, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 847 | Electrician | 78% | $17,771 | — |
| 3 | NUC University Bayamon, PR Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 816 | Electrician | 54% | $9,377 | — |
| 4 | American River College Sacramento, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 792 | Carpentry/Carpenter | 37% | — | — |
| 5 | J F Ingram State Technical College Deatsville, AL Public · 4 feeder programs | 697 | Electrician | 21% | — | — |
| 6 | Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College Bowling Green, KY Public · 1 feeder program | 635 | Electrician | 58% | — | — |
| 7 | Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Elizabethtown, KY Public · 1 feeder program | 633 | Electrician | 59% | — | — |
| 8 | Owensboro Community and Technical College Owensboro, KY Public · 3 feeder programs | 626 | Electrician | 54% | — | — |
| 9 | City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J Daley College Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder program | 622 | Electrician | 27% | — | — |
| 10 | Lake Land College Mattoon, IL Public · 3 feeder programs | 596 | Construction Trades, General | 58% | — | — |
| 11 | Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC Public · 3 feeder programs | 565 | Building/Property Maintenance | 33% | — | — |
| 12 | Bluegrass Community and Technical College Lexington, KY Public · 2 feeder programs | 526 | Electrician | 43% | — | — |
| 13 | Lincoln Technical Institute - Union Union, NJ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 520 | Electrician | 75% | $26,378 | — |
| 14 | UEI College - Reseda Reseda, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 464 | Electrician | 74% | $27,592 | — |
| 15 | Lincoln Technical Institute - Whitestone Whitestone, NY Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 447 | Electrician | 67% | $34,271 | — |
| 16 | Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ Public · 6 feeder programs | 418 | Building/Construction Site Management/Manager | 16% | — | — |
| 17 | Tulsa Welding School - Houston Houston, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 393 | Electrician | 70% | $34,116 | — |
| 18 | Summit College San Bernardino, CA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 372 | Electrician | 62% | $25,402 | — |
| 19 | Gateway Community and Technical College Florence, KY Public · 2 feeder programs | 363 | Electrician | 59% | — | — |
| 20 | Rio Hondo College Whittier, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 360 | Carpentry/Carpenter | 25% | — | — |
| 21 | Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh, PA Public · 5 feeder programs | 349 | Electrician | 24% | — | — |
| 22 | UEI College - Riverside Riverside, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 348 | Electrician | 71% | $27,181 | — |
| 23 | Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 337 | Electrician | 35% | — | — |
| 24 | Ogden - Weber Technical College Ogden, UT Public · 3 feeder programs | 312 | Electrician | 53% | — | — |
| 25 | Institute for Business and Technology San Jose, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 311 | Electrician | 84% | $26,509 | — |
| 26 | Truckee Meadows Community College Reno, NV Public · 3 feeder programs | 307 | Construction Trades, General | 32% | — | — |
| 27 | UEI College - Chula Vista Chula Vista, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 306 | Electrician | 71% | $28,465 | — |
| 28 | Somerset Community College Somerset, KY Public · 2 feeder programs | 305 | Electrician | 43% | — | — |
| 29 | SOWELA Technical Community College Lake Charles, LA Public · 3 feeder programs | 304 | Electrician | 43% | — | — |
| 30 | Lincoln College of Technology - Melrose Park Melrose Park, IL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 302 | Electrician | 68% | $25,508 | — |
| 31 | Foothill College Los Altos Hills, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 299 | Electrician | 56% | — | — |
| 32 | Summit Academy Opportunities Industrialization Center Minneapolis, MN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 297 | Construction Trades, General | 64% | $17,453 | — |
| 33 | Northshore Technical Community College Lacombe, LA Public · 2 feeder programs | 292 | Electrician | 40% | — | — |
| 34 | Lincoln Technical Institute - Mahwah Mahwah, NJ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 282 | Electrician | 79% | $29,877 | — |
| 35 | UEI College - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 279 | Electrician | 68% | $29,687 | — |
| 36 | UEI College - West Covina West Covina, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 277 | Electrician | 67% | $27,767 | — |
| 37 | South Florida Institute of Technology Miami, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 272 | Plumbing Technology/Plumber | 83% | $29,731 | — |
| 38 | UEI College - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 269 | Electrician | 60% | $28,742 | — |
| 39 | UEI College - Stockton Stockton, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 265 | Electrician | 71% | $27,036 | — |
| 40 | Pennco Tech - Blackwood Blackwood, NJ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 264 | Electrician | 72% | $23,217 | — |
| 41 | Ashland Community and Technical College Ashland, KY Public · 1 feeder program | 260 | Electrician | 51% | — | — |
| 42 | UEI College - Garden Grove Garden Grove, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 259 | Electrician | 63% | $26,221 | — |
| 43 | UEI College - Phoenix Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 258 | Electrician | 57% | $32,886 | — |
| 44 | Pennco Tech - Bristol Bristol, PA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 255 | Electrician | 84% | $22,272 | — |
| 45 | UEI College - Ontario Ontario, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 254 | Electrician | 66% | $27,167 | — |
| 46 | San Joaquin Valley College - Modesto Salida, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 253 | Electrician | 77% | $25,571 | — |
| 47 | UEI College - Gardena Gardena, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 250 | Electrician | 60% | $28,919 | — |
| 48 | National Career Education Citrus Heights, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 248 | Electrician | 83% | $25,889 | — |
| 49 | Honolulu Community College Honolulu, HI Public · 3 feeder programs | 243 | Construction Trades, General | 25% | — | — |
| 50 | Southern California Institute of Technology Anaheim, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 241 | Electrician | 74% | $29,667 | 74% |
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $97,680 | 71,750 | 0.75× | 92 | 10,066 |
| Kentucky | $73,490 | 9,620 | 0.92× | 18 | 4,620 |
| North Carolina | $75,270 | 32,460 | 1.26× | 45 | 2,577 |
| Texas | $74,520 | 90,010 | 1.22× | 34 | 2,510 |
| Illinois | $105,750 | 19,340 | 0.61× | 24 | 2,260 |
| Florida | $75,790 | 69,830 | 1.35× | 46 | 2,205 |
| Georgia | $78,430 | 26,770 | 1.05× | 26 | 2,157 |
| Indianamoderate | $82,530 | 16,450 | 0.98× | 3 | 1,969 |
| Arizona | $78,550 | 21,550 | 1.27× | 18 | 1,950 |
| New Jersey | $105,510 | 16,230 | 0.72× | 15 | 1,903 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,540 | 26,860 | 0.85× | 28 | 1,878 |
| New York | $95,700 | 29,600 | 0.58× | 16 | 1,594 |
| Louisiana | $75,360 | 14,070 | 1.39× | 15 | 1,317 |
| Alabama | $64,120 | 13,580 | 1.23× | 14 | 1,304 |
| Minnesota | $97,610 | 13,580 | 0.88× | 23 | 1,302 |
| Oklahoma | $73,040 | 11,520 | 1.29× | 30 | 1,196 |
| Wisconsin | $85,350 | 15,150 | 0.99× | 17 | 1,102 |
| Utah | $77,280 | 14,270 | 1.57× | 13 | 1,017 |
| Kansas | $76,780 | 8,940 | 1.19× | 19 | 862 |
| Nevada | $81,990 | 9,680 | 1.19× | 6 | 859 |
| Virginia | $78,640 | 24,970 | 1.16× | 20 | 844 |
| Mississippi | $66,910 | 7,040 | 1.16× | 14 | 783 |
| Colorado | $81,230 | 21,380 | 1.42× | 17 | 683 |
| Tennessee | $74,470 | 17,770 | 1.04× | 25 | 666 |
| Washington | $109,570 | 19,550 | 1.05× | 14 | 660 |
| Connecticut | $92,260 | 6,980 | 0.79× | 6 | 657 |
| Ohio | $79,580 | 23,640 | 0.82× | 21 | 626 |
| Iowa | $78,510 | 9,660 | 1.19× | 15 | 492 |
| Michigan | $78,180 | 16,660 | 0.72× | 18 | 443 |
| Nebraska | $75,570 | 6,020 | 1.13× | 5 | 404 |
| New Mexico | $75,130 | 6,790 | 1.49× | 7 | 324 |
| Hawaiimoderate | $102,630 | 2,890 | 0.88× | 4 | 313 |
| Missouri | $87,520 | 13,330 | 0.87× | 13 | 307 |
| Maine | $77,290 | 3,130 | 0.94× | 7 | 266 |
| Oregon | $103,070 | 7,890 | 0.77× | 10 | 235 |
| Maryland | $78,760 | 15,400 | 1.07× | 5 | 221 |
| South Carolina | $75,350 | 13,150 | 1.09× | 10 | 202 |
| Arkansas | $61,230 | 6,590 | 0.97× | 9 | 180 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $98,590 | 2,060 | 0.79× | 2 | 168 |
| South Dakota | $77,690 | 2,360 | 0.99× | 7 | 167 |
| Massachusetts | $97,850 | 18,330 | 0.96× | 6 | 147 |
| North Dakota | $81,370 | 4,350 | 1.94× | 5 | 130 |
| West Virginia | $80,060 | 5,380 | 1.47× | 8 | 111 |
| Idahomoderate | $75,550 | 6,730 | 1.50× | 4 | 92 |
| Montana | $76,910 | 4,350 | 1.63× | 9 | 92 |
| Wyoming | $78,250 | 3,270 | 2.23× | 5 | 59 |
| Delawarelimited | $81,100 | 2,590 | 1.02× | 1 | 40 |
| Alaskamoderate | $102,140 | 2,690 | 1.58× | 4 | 35 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $81,220 | 3,590 | 1.01× | 1 | 21 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Inspect work progress, equipment, or construction sites to verify safety or to ensure that specifications are met.
- Read specifications, such as blueprints, to determine construction requirements or to plan procedures.
- Supervise, coordinate, or schedule the activities of construction or extractive workers.
- Assign work to employees, based on material or worker requirements of specific jobs.
- Coordinate work activities with other construction project activities.
- Estimate material or worker requirements to complete jobs.
- Analyze worker or production problems and recommend solutions, such as improving production methods or implementing motivational plans.
- Order or requisition materials or supplies.
Skills
- Speaking3.7
- Active Listening3.6
- Monitoring3.6
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Reading Comprehension3.5
- Learning Strategies3.1
- Writing3.0
- Active Learning3.0
Knowledge areas
- Building and Construction4.3
- Customer and Personal Service4.0
- Administration and Management3.9
- Mechanical3.7
- Design3.5
- English Language3.4
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension3.9
- Oral Expression3.9
- Problem Sensitivity3.7
- Written Comprehension3.6
- Near Vision3.6
- Deductive Reasoning3.5
Core activities
- Getting Information4.3
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.2
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.1
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.1
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others4.0
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.0
How to get in
How to become a first-line supervisor
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience needed
- 5 years or more
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 19 majors mapped to First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers18 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 46.0000Construction Trades, General
- 46.0101Mason/Masonry
- 46.0201Carpentry/Carpenter
- 46.0302Electrician
- 46.0401Building/Property Maintenance
- 46.0402Concrete Finishing/Concrete Finisher
- 46.0403Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector
- 46.0404Drywall Installation/Drywaller
- 46.0406Glazier
- 46.0408Painting/Painter and Wall Coverer
- 46.0410Roofer
- 46.0412Building/Construction Site Management/Manager
- 46.0413Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker
- 46.0414Insulator
- 46.0415Building Construction Technology/Technician
- 46.0502Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter
- 46.0503Plumbing Technology/Plumber
- 46.0504Well Drilling/Driller
- 46.0505Blasting/Blaster(no graduates reported)
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a first-line supervisor?+
You do not need a college degree to become a first-line supervisor. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. It also expects 5 years or more of related work experience. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Electrician, Carpentry/Carpenter and Plumbing Technology/Plumber (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a first-line supervisor?+
The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Electrician, Carpentry/Carpenter and Plumbing Technology/Plumber (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 18 programs to this job, which together graduate about 55,833 people a year.
How much do first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers earn?+
The median is $79,920 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $53,280 at the 10th percentile to $128,260 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers growing?+
BLS projects a +5.3% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 74,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
795 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 18 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Construction Foreman, Installation Manager, Electrical Supervisor, Construction Supervisor, Solar Installation Manager, Roustabout Field Supervisor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 47-1011.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card