First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

Most exposed tasks

Highest structured exposure values in this role’s task mix — the work AI systems can already do most of.

• Keep records of employees' attendance and hours worked.80
• Maintain operations data, such as time, production, and cost records, and prepare management reports of production results.75
• Calculate labor and equipment requirements and production specifications, using standard formulas.65

Augmentable tasks

Work where AI assists rather than replaces — the productivity frontier of this role.

• 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.55
• Plan and establish work schedules, assignments, and production sequences to meet production goals.55
• Requisition materials, supplies, equipment parts, or repair services.55

Most durable tasks

Lowest exposure — typically judgment, relationships, physical presence, or accountability. This is the human moat.

• Set up and adjust machines and equipment.15
• Observe work and monitor gauges, dials, and other indicators to ensure that operators conform to production or processing standards.20
• Inspect materials, products, or equipment to detect defects or malfunctions.25

Task exposure values and classifications are published, versioned estimates audited against the anchored rubric. This page reads them from the data release rather than generating them at request time. Bars show exposure contribution relative to this role’s task mix.

What this means

A score of 41 puts First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers in the third quartile of analyzed occupations. In practice, exposure this high is about the mix: 3 of 20 analyzed tasks lean automatable, 7 augmentable, and 10 durable. The useful question isn’t “will AI take this job” — it’s which tasks go first, which get faster, and where to reposition time. That’s what the personalized report maps against your actual week.

Lower-exposure adjacent roles

No adjacent role in the current data release is at least 10 points lower with ≥50% skill overlap — we don’t label anything “safer” unless the data supports it.

Labor-market context

• $74,450median wage
• 673,430employed
• 67,700annual openings
• +1.2%projected growth

Context only — labor statistics are not inputs to the exposure score. See methodology.

Related roles

Adjacent by skills or family — no exposure claim implied.

• First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers 34
• First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers 38
• First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand 36
• First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators 35
• First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers 29
• First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 44

How this score was calculated

FAQ — First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

Will AI replace First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers?

This score cannot predict whether this occupation or any individual job will be replaced. It shows which tasks current and near-term AI can perform or accelerate, which tasks remain more durable, and where a worker can adapt. Employer decisions, demand, regulation, and how the role changes are outside the score.

What does a score of 41 mean for a First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers?

It means that, weighted across the 20 tasks we analyzed for this role, the task mix sits at 41 on a 0–100 exposure scale — in the third quartile of analyzed occupations. It measures task exposure to current and near-term AI capabilities, not the probability of losing a job.

Which tasks in this role are most exposed to AI?

The highest-exposure tasks are: Keep records of employees' attendance and hours worked; Maintain operations data, such as time, production, and cost records, and prepare management reports of production results; Calculate labor and equipment requirements and production specifications, using standard formulas. Exposure comes from the published, rubric-scored data release rather than being generated when you open this page.

Which parts of this job are most durable?

The most durable responsibilities are: Set up and adjust machines and equipment; Observe work and monitor gauges, dials, and other indicators to ensure that operators conform to production or processing standards; Inspect materials, products, or equipment to detect defects or malfunctions. Durable tasks typically depend on judgment, relationships, physical presence, or accountability.

Is this score personalized to me?

No — this page shows the occupation-level baseline. Two people with the same title often do different work. The $9 personalized report recalculates the score from the tasks you actually do and builds a concrete 7/30/90-day plan around them.