Production Occupations·SOC 51-1011

Best degree programs for First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers, ranked by enrollment

Q: What degree do you need to become a First-Line Supervisors of Production?

High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Operations Management and Supervision, which awarded 11,666 degrees in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Q: Which college majors lead to becoming a First-Line Supervisors of Production?

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Business Administration. Together they graduate about 11,666 people a year.

Q: How much do first-line supervisors of production and operating workers earn?

The median is $74,450 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $47,130 at the 10th percentile to $108,750 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.

Q: Is demand for first-line supervisors of production and operating workers growing?

BLS projects a +1.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 67,700 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

Q: How many schools offer programs for this career?

144 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 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.

Q: What other job titles do first-line supervisors of production and operating workers work under?

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Production Manager, Assembly Supervisor, Production Supervisor, Manufacturing Supervisor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-1011.

1 college programs and 144 schools train First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $74,450 median wage, 673,430 U.S. jobs. Federal data.

1 college programs at 144 schools train first-line supervisors of production and operating workers, graduating 11,666 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Operations Management and Supervision. The job pays a median of $74,450 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Graduates / yr

11,666

from every feeder program

Median annual wage

$74,450

BLS OEWS May 2025

Projected growth

+1.2%

Little or no change

Openings / yr

67,700

new plus replacement

Schools

144

with a feeder program

States with jobs

BLS reports wages

About first-line supervisors of production and operating workers

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.

Also calledProduction ManagerAssembly SupervisorProduction SupervisorManufacturing SupervisorWoods BossBeater BossTipple BossBreaker BossGauger ChiefShop ForemanPit SupervisorAcid Supervisor

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.

Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

CIP 52.02

Business Administration

11,666graduates / yr

144 schools · 1 specialization · 100.0% of pipeline

Grad earnings $43,506

1 degree programs that lead to this job

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.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#	Program	Graduates / yr	Share of pipeline	Schools	Grad earnings (1 yr)	Median debt
1	Operations Management and Supervision CIP 52.0205	11,666	100.0%	144	$43,506	$25,000

Top 50 schools by graduates into this job

Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#	School	Graduates / yr	Top feeder program	Grad rate	Net price	Acceptance
1	Miami Dade College Miami, FL Public · 1 feeder programs	3,954	Operations Management and Supervision	46%	—	—
2	Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global Marion, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	1,797	Operations Management and Supervision	35%	$18,316	—
3	Valencia College Orlando, FL Public · 1 feeder programs	1,531	Operations Management and Supervision	48%	—	—
4	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	690	Operations Management and Supervision	43%	$34,565	100%
5	University of Phoenix - Arizona Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs	247	Operations Management and Supervision	21%	$15,478	—
6	The University of Arizona Global Campus Chandler, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs	171	Operations Management and Supervision	11%	$26,445	—
7	Washington State University Pullman, WA Public · 1 feeder programs	164	Operations Management and Supervision	60%	—	87%
8	Fort Hays State University Hays, KS Public · 1 feeder programs	153	Operations Management and Supervision	48%	—	90%
9	University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH Public · 1 feeder programs	146	Operations Management and Supervision	75%	—	85%
10	Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	120	Operations Management and Supervision	21%	—	—
11	Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs	111	Operations Management and Supervision	88%	—	61%
12	Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH Public · 1 feeder programs	91	Operations Management and Supervision	80%	—	75%
13	Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay, WI Public · 1 feeder programs	84	Operations Management and Supervision	51%	—	—
14	Franklin University Columbus, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	83	Operations Management and Supervision	11%	$22,280	—
15	University of Delaware Newark, DE Public · 1 feeder programs	74	Operations Management and Supervision	81%	—	71%
16	Joliet Junior College Joliet, IL Public · 1 feeder programs	69	Operations Management and Supervision	21%	—	—
17	Utah State University Logan, UT Public · 1 feeder programs	67	Operations Management and Supervision	59%	—	92%
18	Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs	65	Operations Management and Supervision	31%	—	—
19	University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI Public · 1 feeder programs	65	Operations Management and Supervision	49%	—	91%
20	University of Wisconsin - Stout Menomonie, WI Public · 1 feeder programs	65	Operations Management and Supervision	55%	—	88%
21	University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD Public · 1 feeder programs	63	Operations Management and Supervision	33%	—	—
22	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 1 feeder programs	63	Operations Management and Supervision	85%	—	80%
23	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC Public · 1 feeder programs	56	Operations Management and Supervision	69%	—	80%
24	Yavapai College Prescott, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs	55	Operations Management and Supervision	34%	—	—
25	Oregon State University Corvallis, OR Public · 1 feeder programs	52	Operations Management and Supervision	70%	—	77%
26	University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI Public · 1 feeder programs	52	Operations Management and Supervision	90%	—	45%
27	University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE Public · 1 feeder programs	51	Operations Management and Supervision	58%	—	89%
28	Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology Okmulgee, OK Public · 1 feeder programs	50	Operations Management and Supervision	42%	—	—
29	Bismarck State College Bismarck, ND Public · 1 feeder programs	48	Operations Management and Supervision	47%	—	—
30	ECPI University Virginia Beach, VA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs	42	Operations Management and Supervision	42%	$21,909	75%
31	Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI Public · 1 feeder programs	39	Operations Management and Supervision	47%	—	91%
32	Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL Public · 1 feeder programs	38	Operations Management and Supervision	49%	—	70%
33	Western Wyoming Community College Rock Springs, WY Public · 1 feeder programs	38	Operations Management and Supervision	33%	—	—
34	Indiana University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder programs	36	Operations Management and Supervision	54%	—	76%
35	University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI Public · 1 feeder programs	36	Operations Management and Supervision	59%	—	86%
36	North Central State College Mansfield, OH Public · 1 feeder programs	35	Operations Management and Supervision	36%	—	—
37	University of North Texas Denton, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	35	Operations Management and Supervision	61%	—	72%
38	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs	31	Operations Management and Supervision	68%	—	86%
39	Avila University Kansas City, MO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	29	Operations Management and Supervision	52%	$16,721	88%
40	Pitt Community College Winterville, NC Public · 1 feeder programs	29	Operations Management and Supervision	35%	—	—
41	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs	28	Operations Management and Supervision	0%	—	67%
42	Le Moyne College Syracuse, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	28	Operations Management and Supervision	73%	$20,356	83%
43	Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac, WI Public · 1 feeder programs	28	Operations Management and Supervision	58%	—	—
44	The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	28	Operations Management and Supervision	50%	—	100%
45	Utah Valley University Orem, UT Public · 1 feeder programs	28	Operations Management and Supervision	45%	—	—
46	Northeastern State University Tahlequah, OK Public · 1 feeder programs	27	Operations Management and Supervision	35%	—	100%
47	Strayer University - Global Region Washington, DC Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs	27	Operations Management and Supervision	14%	$18,144	—
48	University of Portland Portland, OR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	27	Operations Management and Supervision	80%	$33,822	89%
49	Dakota County Technical College Rosemount, MN Public · 1 feeder programs	25	Operations Management and Supervision	58%	—	—
50	Ohio University - Main Campus Athens, OH Public · 1 feeder programs	23	Operations Management and Supervision	65%	—	85%

What first-line supervisors of production and operating workers earn

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual wage

$74,450

Mean annual

$76,600

Median hourly

$35.79/hr

People employed

673,430

What the range looks like

10th pct$47,130Median$74,45090th pct$108,750

Top-paying states

Top-paying metro areas

Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT

$105,690median

1,000 jobs

Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA

$115,340median

500 jobs

Baton Rouge, LA

$95,810median

2,270 jobs

Lexington Park, MD

$99,980median

130 jobs

Lake Charles, LA

$92,560median

750 jobs

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$91,500median

5,050 jobs

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

$89,970median

2,440 jobs

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

$80,860median

1,290 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34

+1.2%

Little or no change

Openings per year

67,700

new jobs plus replacements

Employment change

8,300

698,600 → 706,900

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

Where the jobs are, state by state

Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.

This occupation state by state: pay, jobs, and schools
State	Median pay	Jobs	Concentration	Schools	Graduates / yr
Florida	$63,950	27,710	0.64×	10	5,521
Indiana	$73,950	26,870	1.94×	7	1,870
New Hampshirelimited	$79,310	3,000	1.01×	2	702
Ohio	$72,160	31,980	1.33×	11	548
Arizona	$75,330	8,720	0.62×	6	539
Wisconsin	$74,840	25,500	2.00×	8	348
Texas	$70,140	58,930	0.97×	9	230
Washington	$79,310	14,500	0.94×	5	204
Kansasmoderate	$74,480	7,980	1.28×	3	174
Illinois	$75,200	29,640	1.12×	10	151
Utahmoderate	$71,220	9,040	1.20×	3	111
Minnesota	$78,550	13,380	1.05×	5	109
Michigan	$72,170	26,650	1.40×	6	87
Oklahomamoderate	$70,000	9,570	1.29×	4	87
North Carolinalimited	$69,640	22,240	1.04×	2	85
Oregonmoderate	$73,580	8,180	0.96×	4	85
Virginiamoderate	$74,150	13,530	0.76×	3	83
Marylandmoderate	$78,520	6,100	0.51×	4	75
Delawarelimited	$79,100	1,450	0.69×	1	74
Tennesseelimited	$65,310	18,960	1.33×	2	67
North Dakotalimited	$76,350	1,650	0.89×	2	59
Wyominglimited	$90,390	1,470	1.21×	2	56
Nebraskalimited	$72,200	6,040	1.36×	1	51
Georgiamoderate	$69,170	26,190	1.24×	4	48
New Yorkmoderate	$78,580	20,830	0.50×	4	47
Pennsylvaniamoderate	$74,990	28,900	1.10×	4	45
Idahomoderate	$70,890	3,900	1.05×	3	40
Missourilimited	$73,210	15,430	1.21×	1	29
District of Columbialimited	$80,030	350	0.11×	1	27
Massachusettsmoderate	$79,920	12,390	0.79×	4	25
West Virginialimited	$68,990	3,120	1.03×	1	14
South Carolinalimited	$77,500	14,570	1.46×	2	13
Connecticutlimited	$83,150	9,150	1.25×	1	12
New Jerseylimited	$81,110	15,040	0.81×	1	9
Alabamalimited	$73,060	20,670	2.26×	1	5
Arkansaslimited	$63,090	11,000	1.95×	1	5
Mainelimited	$78,970	2,970	1.07×	1	4
Louisianalimited	$77,520	9,350	1.12×	1	2
Rhode Islandlimited	$81,650	2,660	1.22×	1	2

Skills and tools

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

Enforce safety and sanitation regulations.
Keep records of employees' attendance and hours worked.
Inspect materials, products, or equipment to detect defects or malfunctions.
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.

Skills

Active Listening3.9
Speaking3.9
Monitoring3.8
Critical Thinking3.8
Reading Comprehension3.5
Writing3.1
Learning Strategies3.1
Active Learning3.1

Knowledge areas

Production and Processing4.3
Administration and Management4.1
Personnel and Human Resources3.6
English Language3.5
Computers and Electronics3.2
Mathematics3.2

Abilities

Oral Expression4.0
Problem Sensitivity4.0
Oral Comprehension4.0
Deductive Reasoning3.8
Speech Clarity3.8
Speech Recognition3.8

Core activities

Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.5
Getting Information4.4
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.3
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.2
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.2
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates4.1

Tools and technology

hotmarks an O*NET hot technology

Apple SafarihotAutodesk AutoCADhotExtensible markup language XMLhotKronos Workforce TimekeeperhotMicrosoft AccesshotMicrosoft ExcelhotMicrosoft Office softwarehotMicrosoft OutlookhotMicrosoft PowerPointhotMicrosoft Projecthot

How to get in

How to become a First-Line Supervisors of Production

Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0

Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience needed: Less than 5 years

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 1 majors mapped to First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+

52.0205Operations Management and Supervision

Related careers

Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.

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47-1011

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45-1011

First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers

$59,32027,960 jobs+2.5%

43-1011

First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

$69,5001,436,680 jobs-0.3%

37-1011

First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers

$49,100178,760 jobs+2.5%

35-1012

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

$44,0801,223,240 jobs+6.0%

Common questions

What degree do you need to become a First-Line Supervisors of Production?+

High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Operations Management and Supervision, which awarded 11,666 degrees in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a First-Line Supervisors of Production?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Business Administration. Together they graduate about 11,666 people a year.

How much do first-line supervisors of production and operating workers earn?+

The median is $74,450 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $47,130 at the 10th percentile to $108,750 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 production and operating workers growing?+

BLS projects a +1.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 67,700 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career?+

144 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 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 production and operating workers work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Production Manager, Assembly Supervisor, Production Supervisor, Manufacturing Supervisor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-1011.

↑ Zoom outAll occupations Production Occupations

First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers by stateFlorida Indiana New Hampshire Ohio Arizona Wisconsin Texas Washington Kansas Illinois Utah Minnesota

Programs that lead hereBusiness Administration

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 2025
Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
Official source →
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34
Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
Official source →
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)
Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
Official source →
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohorts
Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Official source →
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest available
Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
Official source →
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018
Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
Official source →
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3
Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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