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How to hire a line supervisor

Line supervisor hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring line supervisors in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a line supervisor is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per line supervisor on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 56,502 line supervisors in the US and 105,473 job openings.
  • Portland, OR, has the highest demand for line supervisors, with 5 job openings.
  • Chicago, IL has the highest concentration of line supervisors.

How to hire a line supervisor, step by step

To hire a line supervisor, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a line supervisor:

Here's a step-by-step line supervisor hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a line supervisor job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new line supervisor
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a line supervisor do?

A line supervisor is responsible for monitoring the line operations within an organization, ensuring the adequacy of line staff on production, and supervising the quality control processes. Line supervisors enforce the highest safety standards and procedures within the premises to avoid operation hazards that might cause delays in the production. They also train new employees, coordinate with the management for process improvement, and develop strategic techniques to minimize excessive costings without compromising the service quality.

Learn more about the specifics of what a line supervisor does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your line supervisor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a line supervisor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A line supervisor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, line supervisors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list presents line supervisor salaries for various positions.

    Type of Line SupervisorDescriptionHourly rate
    Line Supervisor$17-39
    Production Supervisor/ManagerProduction supervision managers display strong skills in supervision, decision-making, effective planning, and also have a keen eye for detail. This career will call on the maintenance of a production line's operations, as well as the ongoing production of the end product, in addition to maximizing production while maintaining quality products and staff safety.$30-58
    Shift Production SupervisorA shift production supervisor is in charge of overseeing business operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach production standards and production targets, supervising and assessing staff performance, delegating tasks, managing schedules, and prioritizing customer satisfaction... Show more$10-25
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Safety Procedures
    • Direct Supervision
    • Safety Rules
    • Continuous Improvement
    • Food Safety
    • Assembly Line
    • Corrective Action
    • Quality Standards
    • Collective Bargaining
    • Production Schedules
    • Safety Regulations
    • Line Production
    • Preventive Maintenance
    • Kaizen
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage the quality control, safety, and sanitation for the second-process of poultry processing while adhering to FDA regulations.
    • Manage and develop associates base on organizational and developmental needs/conduct monthly one-on-ones with each employee to provide guidance and leadership.
    • Schedule crewing (union shop), production scheduling, MRP.
    • Run mechanical machinery to package FDA control medicine, build cardboard displays for different products and package them.
    • Operate manual and pneumatic tools and machinery used in the maintenance of vessels, HVAC and ice arena equipment.
    • Train maintenance personnel in diagnosing and repairing machines to minimize downtime and cost associated with the operation of all machinery.
    More line supervisor duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your line supervisor job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A line supervisor salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a line supervisor in South Carolina may be lower than in Wyoming, and an entry-level line supervisor usually earns less than a senior-level line supervisor. Additionally, a line supervisor with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average line supervisor salary

    $55,107yearly

    $26.49 hourly rate

    Entry-level line supervisor salary
    $36,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 23, 2025

    Average line supervisor salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New Jersey$73,141$35
    2Massachusetts$69,080$33
    3California$65,592$32
    4Pennsylvania$60,866$29
    5New York$60,331$29
    6Illinois$59,576$29
    7Ohio$59,494$29
    8Arizona$57,146$27
    9Oregon$56,929$27
    10Oklahoma$56,310$27
    11West Virginia$56,105$27
    12Texas$55,678$27
    13Louisiana$55,529$27
    14Mississippi$53,025$25
    15North Carolina$52,073$25
    16Missouri$51,302$25
    17Utah$50,132$24
    18Michigan$49,538$24
    19Indiana$48,020$23
    20Florida$46,945$23

    Average line supervisor salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1EMC Insurance$75,089$36.10
    2Reckitt Benckiser$72,584$34.901
    3Quest Diagnostics$67,409$32.4110
    4Teledyne Technologies Incorporated$66,433$31.943
    5Highgate Hotels$65,595$31.5414
    6AVANGRID$64,463$30.99
    7Entergy$64,404$30.9626
    8Belcan$63,424$30.492
    9Tempur Sealy International$63,148$30.3627
    10McKesson$63,082$30.337
    11Oldcastle Infrastructure$62,365$29.9886
    12Alpena Oil$58,497$28.12
    13Alstom$57,224$27.514
    14Southeastern Freight Lines$57,011$27.41
    15Lockheed Martin$55,596$26.7384
    16Oklahoma State Fair$54,855$26.371
    17Tastemorr Snacks$54,767$26.33
    18Grand Hotel$52,600$25.29
    19Randstad North America, Inc.$52,423$25.20
    20Goodwin Recruiting$52,133$25.06
  4. Writing a line supervisor job description

    A line supervisor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a line supervisor job description:

    Line supervisor job description example

    Our MFG line includes four different product lines, our cleanroom manufacturing environment is fast paced, and cross-functional. You will manage a diverse team of approx. 20 team members, which will be a mixture of contractor and full time employees. Required to work with our supporting teams, as well as with our other 2 build shifts. Working to improve manufacturing build cycle time while reinforcing a strong safety and quality culture.

    Key Responsibilities

    • Supervises employees involved in a variety of production and/or operation functions such as assembly, inspection, and Helium leak test of Applied Materials semiconductor Manufacturing equipment and modules
    • Prioritizes production schedules based on available manpower, equipment efficiency, capacity and materials requirements.
    • Supports the development and tracking of organization performance metrics.
    • Schedules and conducts milestone meetings.
    • Responsible for meeting or improving cycle time performance and other metrics.
    • Ensures timely response to operations issues impacting customer satisfaction; acts as an interface in the establishment of and ensuring conformance to customer/vendor requirements; prepares detailed analysis of quality issues and initiates corrective action.
    • Oversees the prevention of employee accidents and injuries. Responsible for ensuring and documenting that all department employees (including contractors) receive and follow appropriate department training including Environmental, Health and Safety training. Implements, emphasizes importance of, and monitors compliance to appropriate safety policies and procedures.
    • Develops personnel to include training and career development; manages the performance management process to include the development of team and individual goals, implementing employee development plans, and coaching. Manages the employee selection, hiring, reward and discipline processes.
    • Identifies process and quality changes designed to improve manufacturing or department capabilities. Drives Lean, Safety and Quality. Takes corrective action.

    .

    Functional Knowledge

    • Demonstrates understanding and application of procedures and concepts within own job family and basic knowledge of other related job families.

    Business Expertise

    • Applies understanding of how the team relates to other closely related areas to improve efficiency of own team

    Leadership

    • Has formal supervisory responsibilities; sets priorities for and coaches employees to meet daily deadlines

    Problem Solving

    • Uses judgment to identify and resolve day-to-day technical and operational problems

    Impact

    • Impacts the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of own team and its contribution to the business unit, department or sub-function

    Interpersonal Skills

    • Uses tact and diplomacy to exchange information and handle sensitive issues

      May be required to interact with outside customers, vendors or suppliers

    #LI

    QualificationsEducation:Bachelor's DegreeSkillsCertifications:Languages:Years of Experience:2 - 4 YearsWork Experience:Additional InformationTravel:Yes, 10% of the TimeRelocation Eligible:Yes

    Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

  5. Post your job

    To find the right line supervisor for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with line supervisors they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit line supervisors who meet your education requirements.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your line supervisor job on Zippia to find and recruit line supervisor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting line supervisors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new line supervisor

    Once you've selected the best line supervisor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a line supervisor?

Recruiting line supervisors involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

The median annual salary for line supervisors is $55,107 in the US. However, the cost of line supervisor hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a line supervisor for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $17 and $39 an hour.

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