First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of mechanics, installers, and repairers. May also advise customers on recommended services. Excludes team or work leaders.
First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers directly supervise and coordinate the activities of mechanics, installers, and repairers. May also advise customers on recommended services. Excludes team or work leaders. The role reports a median annual salary of $78,300 in the US and is projected to grow 3% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows low AI exposure (0.33 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include Monitoring, Management of Personnel Resources, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Time Management.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £40,760 a year for Metal working production and maintenance fitters (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £31,226 to £52,357 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5223). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
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Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Administration and Management
- Mechanical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- Personnel and Human Resources
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
A day in the life
You start the morning in the maintenance workshop reviewing work orders and assigning jobs to your technicians based on their skills. You walk the plant floor, checking tools and machines and reminding the team about safety procedures. Mid-morning a production line stops, so you help diagnose the fault, working alongside a technician to repair a hydraulic press. Afterwards you inspect and measure the finished repair to confirm it meets standards. You also read blueprints for a new installation and lay out reference points for the crew. After lunch you estimate the cost of materials and labour for an upcoming overhaul and check whether an outside contractor is needed. Later you review your team's workload and give feedback to a new hire. The day is busy and often interrupted by breakdowns, but keeping machines running and leading a skilled team is very satisfying.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Inspect, test, and measure completed work, using devices such as hand tools or gauges to verify conformance to standards or repair requirements.
- Inspect and monitor work areas, examine tools and equipment, and provide employee safety training to prevent, detect, and correct unsafe conditions or violations of procedures and safety rules.
- Interpret specifications, blueprints, or job orders to construct templates and lay out reference points for workers.
- Monitor employees' work levels and review work performance.
- Perform skilled repair or maintenance operations, using equipment such as hand or power tools, hydraulic presses or shears, or welding equipment.
- Compute estimates and actual costs of factors such as materials, labor, or outside contractors.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers do?
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of mechanics, installers, and repairers. May also advise customers on recommended services. Excludes team or work leaders.
What does a typical day look like in First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers?
You start the morning in the maintenance workshop reviewing work orders and assigning jobs to your technicians based on their skills. You walk the plant floor, checking tools and machines and reminding the team about safety procedures. Mid-morning a production line stops, so you help diagnose the fault, working alongside a technician to repair a hydraulic press. Afterwards you inspect and measure the finished repair to confirm it meets standards.
How much does First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers earn?
The median annual salary for First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers in the US is $78,300.
What is the job outlook for First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers?
The role is projected to grow 3% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 617,500 workers.
How do I become first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Monitoring, Management of Personnel Resources, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Time Management, Coordination. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers?
Our AI-durability model gives First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers a score of 0.33 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.