Salary guide, May 2025
Line Lead pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers in the United States was $74,450 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $58,630 and $91,680.
Also searched as: Cell Lead, Group Leader, Lead Operator, Hourly Team Leader. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 51-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
The Line Lead title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $47,130 | $58,630 | $74,450 | $91,680 | $108,750 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $22.66 | $28.19 | $35.79 | $44.08 | $52.28 |
BLS estimated 673,430 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $63,720 | $50,480 to $82,640 | 6,960 | 0.57 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $64,510 | $51,740 to $83,370 | 4,580 | 0.73 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $62,400 | $49,580 to $81,170 | 3,350 | 0.55 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $75,230 | $57,900 to $89,880 | 1,680 | 0.52 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $81,790 | $64,130 to $101,350 | 19,220 | 0.47 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $81,790 | $64,130 to $101,350 | 19,220 | 0.47 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $69,940 | $51,360 to $89,820 | 16,880 | 0.96 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $76,500 | $59,380 to $93,880 | 20,970 | 1.07 |
Rank every metro for Line Lead
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$124,260
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$82,620
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$81,090
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$78,820
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$78,400
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$78,260
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$77,360
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$77,040
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$75,590
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$74,260
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$73,910
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$73,440
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$70,920
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$69,140
- Printing and Related Support Activities (NAICS 323000)$65,320
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 491,210 | $59,920 | $75,180 | $90,810 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 71,790 | $56,400 | $69,140 | $81,060 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 67,090 | $60,130 | $73,910 | $84,500 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 57,620 | $62,370 | $78,400 | $96,760 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 39,780 | $63,350 | $81,090 | $102,270 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 38,680 | $62,170 | $77,040 | $93,810 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 34,910 | $58,750 | $70,920 | $81,370 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 29,260 | $58,450 | $69,840 | $80,920 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 26,480 | $62,000 | $76,550 | $92,570 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 23,510 | $60,670 | $74,050 | $84,670 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 22,500 | $57,740 | $70,140 | $82,250 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 21,650 | $60,560 | $70,620 | $80,000 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 21,300 | $62,280 | $78,820 | $98,330 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 21,210 | $58,250 | $73,440 | $86,940 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 20,660 | $59,780 | $74,110 | $83,350 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 19,350 | $62,040 | $77,360 | $93,150 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 18,550 | $68,100 | $86,730 | $110,840 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 17,540 | $66,070 | $82,620 | $97,290 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 17,420 | $52,250 | $63,110 | $79,540 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 15,950 | $53,440 | $65,320 | $80,520 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 15,950 | $53,440 | $65,320 | $80,520 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 15,350 | $52,960 | $63,160 | $78,650 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 15,280 | $61,810 | $76,500 | $92,760 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 15,240 | $60,100 | $75,590 | $90,010 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 14,650 | $59,530 | $74,260 | $88,050 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 14,340 | $53,150 | $63,000 | $78,640 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 13,290 | $48,240 | $60,540 | $77,400 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 12,570 | $65,740 | $82,750 | $101,500 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 12,560 | $62,210 | $79,040 | $93,870 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 12,160 | $62,250 | $76,700 | $92,840 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 11,090 | $78,600 | $96,350 | $106,600 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 11,020 | $52,540 | $64,610 | $80,120 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 10,430 | $50,750 | $61,400 | $76,400 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 10,210 | $55,680 | $69,910 | $81,880 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 10,190 | $61,640 | $78,370 | $96,780 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 9,810 | $60,950 | $77,770 | $98,280 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 9,730 | $74,770 | $86,300 | $99,320 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 8,660 | $57,980 | $73,640 | $85,610 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 8,420 | $66,990 | $80,960 | $99,570 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 7,880 | $61,740 | $77,080 | $87,000 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 7,630 | $53,960 | $63,550 | $78,030 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 7,300 | $54,780 | $67,780 | $80,180 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 6,470 | $59,420 | $75,190 | $91,560 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 6,430 | $62,160 | $76,500 | $93,900 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 6,320 | $58,590 | $65,340 | $79,940 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 6,300 | $61,600 | $78,260 | $90,210 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 6,010 | $73,830 | $83,450 | $100,580 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 5,690 | $61,240 | $78,140 | $89,280 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 5,650 | $60,080 | $73,840 | $83,880 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 5,410 | $61,380 | $76,390 | $91,870 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 5,120 | $60,370 | $74,850 | $84,400 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 4,980 | $84,620 | $97,080 | $114,460 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 4,980 | $81,450 | $124,260 | $149,880 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 4,980 | $81,450 | $124,260 | $149,880 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 4,960 | $66,780 | $77,910 | $95,430 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 4,390 | $47,560 | $60,100 | $75,410 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 4,080 | $56,620 | $63,690 | $77,350 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 3,800 | $58,690 | $74,110 | $82,640 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 3,640 | $54,230 | $64,940 | $81,700 |
| 321100 · 4-digit | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 3,350 | $58,070 | $74,470 | $92,910 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 3,220 | $61,520 | $75,770 | $92,280 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 3,210 | $49,570 | $64,810 | $82,720 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 3,120 | $60,450 | $75,600 | $92,460 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 3,090 | $62,650 | $79,810 | $96,530 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 3,090 | $59,770 | $76,580 | $93,150 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 3,030 | $65,650 | $82,760 | $98,270 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 2,960 | $67,300 | $80,770 | $97,550 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 2,740 | $60,690 | $76,850 | $92,620 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 2,580 | $47,430 | $60,640 | $75,890 |
| 315000 · 3-digit | Apparel Manufacturing | 2,460 | $45,310 | $56,610 | $74,770 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 2,330 | $56,580 | $64,180 | $77,490 |
| 315200 · 4-digit | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 1,870 | $45,870 | $57,420 | $74,380 |
| 314100 · 4-digit | Textile Furnishings Mills | 1,810 | $48,320 | $59,740 | $74,990 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,540 | $60,070 | $64,090 | $79,480 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 1,470 | $62,940 | $79,980 | $97,220 |
| 311700 · 4-digit | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 1,360 | $43,680 | $59,750 | $77,710 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 1,290 | $55,390 | $66,260 | $80,130 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 1,230 | $50,320 | $63,430 | $80,060 |
| 316000 · 3-digit | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 1,120 | $47,610 | $60,780 | $74,920 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 1,030 | $56,440 | $73,550 | $96,020 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 1,020 | $50,580 | $70,040 | $79,380 |
| 313300 · 4-digit | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 970 | $57,870 | $63,710 | $79,580 |
| 313100 · 4-digit | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 780 | $56,350 | $62,610 | $75,700 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 740 | $49,530 | $62,760 | $81,350 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 690 | $61,750 | $77,560 | $91,600 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 610 | $65,300 | $78,840 | $96,410 |
| 316900 · 4-digit | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 490 | $47,680 | $59,750 | $73,890 |
| 315900 · 4-digit | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 430 | $39,520 | $56,830 | $77,090 |
| 316200 · 4-digit | Footwear Manufacturing | 370 | $47,690 | $61,870 | $73,060 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 360 | $58,490 | $66,110 | $81,270 |
| 316100 · 4-digit | Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing | 260 | $47,350 | $60,220 | $83,230 |
| 334600 · 4-digit | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 210 | $54,040 | $56,750 | $67,760 |
| 315100 · 4-digit | Apparel Knitting Mills | 170 | $42,100 | $49,390 | $60,700 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Line Lead, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $56,330 | $71,190 | $86,770 |
| May 2025 | $58,630 | $74,450 | $91,680 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Worker occupation: CNC Machinist pay (SOC 51-4041)
- Worker occupation: CNC Setup Machinist pay (SOC 51-9161)
- Worker occupation: CNC Programmer pay (SOC 51-9162)
- Worker occupation: Tool and Die Maker pay (SOC 51-4111)
- Worker occupation: Production Welder (MIG) pay (SOC 51-4121)
- Worker occupation: Robotic Welding Technician pay (SOC 51-4122)
- Worker occupation: Press Brake Operator pay (SOC 51-4031)
- Worker occupation: Production Technician pay (SOC 51-9199)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about language and crew fit?
Where the crew speaks English and Spanish, a bilingual lead is often essential, not a bonus. We screen for it directly and in conversation, not by résumé line. We also ask how the person handled crews of mixed experience.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Line Lead?
The median annual wage for First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers in the United States was $74,450 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $58,630 and $91,680. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $47,130. 90% earned less than $108,750.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Line Lead at a plant?
The Line Lead title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 673,430 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
The Line Lead title is categorized under SOC 51-1011, First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers. For Line Lead in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $74,450; the May 2024 median is $71,190. Their arithmetic difference is $3,260.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle-band width for this role is $33,050, spanning the 25th percentile of $58,630 to the 75th percentile of $91,680. Manufacturing Headhunters notes that these BLS figures aggregate all first-line supervisors, meaning they do not account for the specific hands-on shop floor duties like training or 5S management that characterize a line lead. For Line Lead in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
When comparing regional data, the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area shows a median salary of $76,500 with a middle-band width of $34,500. New York-Newark-Jersey City reports a higher median of $81,790 with a wider middle-band width of $37,220. National industry wages, such as $124,260 for Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing and $97,080 for Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills, demonstrate the scale of industrial variation. These industry medians are strictly national aggregates and do not serve as a measurement for local line lead compensation. The BLS does not partition these roles by industrial sector at the local level.
The location quotient is 1.07 in Chicago and 0.47 in New York, indicating employment concentration within those metro areas. For Line Lead in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $74,450; the May 2024 median is $71,190. Their arithmetic difference is $3,260. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. It is important to note that BLS reporting does not separate leads by shift or plant type, meaning these figures represent a broad range of supervisory experience and responsibility. As the source data lacks specific indicators for bilingual capacity or hands-on machine maintenance requirements, the figures should be used as general market references rather than precise salary benchmarks for a technical line lead.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
For Line Lead in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $74,450; the May 2024 median is $71,190. Their arithmetic difference is $3,260. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
What is the national median salary change for the Line Lead occupation from 2024 to 2025?
For Line Lead in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $74,450; the May 2024 median is $71,190. Their arithmetic difference is $3,260. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
How does the Chicago median salary for Line Leads compare to the national median?
The region's middle-band width is also wider at $34,500 compared to the national width of $33,050.
Do national industry wages for Petroleum and Paper manufacturing reflect local Line Lead pay?
No, national industry wages like $124,260 and $97,080 are industry-wide aggregations. They do not correlate to localized annual pay for line leads in specific manufacturing sectors.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4