Direct and schedule production workers, monitor output and safety, and keep the line running to plan.
You may also see this posted as: Assembly Supervisor, Manufacturing Supervisor, Production Manager, Line Supervisor, Molding Supervisor, Plant Supervisor.
Factories and plants
Full-time, often shift work
Enterprising
leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
Realistic
working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world
O*NET job zone 3 of 5
Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
BLS estimates 1.2% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
High school / no degree
Training path: Promotion from the floor.
Related work experience: Less than 5 years.
On-the-job training: None.
No license required to start in most places.
You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
The floor-level management job most line workers can climb into — experience counts more than a degree.
Run the Reality Check — build the life you want and see the salary it takes, then compare it to this one.
Browse verified internships, fellowships, and programs — many paid — that lead into fields like this.
Free resume templates, interview practice, and getting-hired guides in the Careers kit.
Standard Occupational Classification 51-1011. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.