How To Become A Plant Operator/Shift Supervisor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a plant operator/shift supervisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a plant operator/shift supervisor. For example, did you know that they make an average of $26.69 an hour? That's $55,520 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -15% and produce -6,500 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScorePlant Operator/Shift SupervisorUS Average

Salary

4.3

Avg. Salary $55,520

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.1

Growth rate -15%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.71%

Asian 5.18%

Black or African American 11.30%

Hispanic or Latino 16.91%

Unknown 4.17%

White 61.72%

Gender

female 5.05%

male 94.95%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a plant operator/shift supervisor

Explore plant operator/shift supervisor education requirements

Most common plant operator/shift supervisor degrees

Bachelor's

48.8 %

Associate

24.4 %

High School Diploma

9.8 %

Start to develop specific plant operator/shift supervisor skills

Skills	Percentages
Plant Operations	40.83%
Safety Regulations	27.23%
Control Systems	10.30%
Plant Equipment	8.96%
Safety Training	7.64%

Complete relevant plant operator/shift supervisor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New plant operators/shift supervisor learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a plant operator/shift supervisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real plant operator/shift supervisor resumes.

Research plant operator/shift supervisor duties and responsibilities

Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.
Lead compression shift of twenty-one operators and supporting staff in daily operations of manufacturing generic prescription medications in a GMP setting.
Supervise HAZ-MAT response decontamination line during emergencies.

Prepare your plant operator/shift supervisor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your plant operator/shift supervisor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a plant operator/shift supervisor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable plant operator/shift supervisor resume templates

Build a professional plant operator/shift supervisor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your plant operator/shift supervisor resume.