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First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $79,920 Median per year · $38.42/hr Most earn $53,280–$128,260

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Suggest or initiate personnel actions, such as promotions, transfers, or hires.
  • Confer with managerial or technical personnel, other departments, or contractors to resolve problems or to coordinate activities.
  • Record information, such as personnel, production, or operational data on specified forms or reports.
  • Analyze worker or production problems and recommend solutions, such as improving production methods or implementing motivational plans.
  • Arrange for repairs of equipment or machinery.
  • Read specifications, such as blueprints, to determine construction requirements or to plan procedures.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
5% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 67,000 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Nonresidential building construction11.7%
  • Self-employed (their own business)11.2%
  • Electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors8.8%
  • Residential building construction7.8%
  • Other specialty trade contractors6.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 4 to 6 years

You don't usually start in this job straight out of school. Most people first work as a skilled construction or extraction worker for about 4 to 6 years, learning the trade through an apprenticeship or training program, before they take on a supervisor role.

  1. High school diploma or GED

    4 years

    Finish high school with math, shop, and safety classes, since they give you a head start on trade training and on-site work.

  2. Construction Apprentice (carpentry, electrical, plumbing, or similar trade)

    3-4 years

    Learn your trade on real job sites while doing classroom training, which builds the hands-on skills and safety knowledge a crew leader needs.

  3. Crew Lead

    1-2 years

    Once you're a skilled journey-level worker, you start guiding a small group, planning tasks, and checking quality, which is the closest step to supervising.

  4. First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers

    Ongoing

    You directly supervise and coordinate construction or extraction crews, making sure the work is safe, on schedule, and done right.

Where it can lead

  1. Construction Manager

    4-6 years of experience first

    You move from supervising one crew to planning whole projects, managing budgets, schedules, and subcontractors; this usually calls for an associate degree or more, plus project management experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, drafting, or construction-related classesHands-on trade classes show you what the work feels like and build skills you'll use on a job site.
  • Take math, especially geometry and algebraMeasuring, reading plans, and estimating materials all depend on solid math skills.
  • Join a career and technical student organizationMany schools have trade-focused clubs where you can practice skills, compete, and meet people in the industry.
  • Get a summer or part-time job on a crewWorking on a landscaping, roofing, or general labor crew shows you how job sites run and how crews are organized.
  • Learn basic first aid and safety rulesKnowing how to keep yourself and others safe is a core skill for anyone who will later lead a crew.

In college

  • Enroll in a construction trades certificate or apprenticeship programA certificate or registered apprenticeship is the typical training route for this career and gives you both classroom and job-site learning.
  • Earn an OSHA 10-hour construction safety cardSafety certification is valuable on any job site and shows future employers you take safety seriously.
  • Work a part-time or summer job on a construction or extraction siteReal field experience now counts toward the years of hands-on work supervisors usually need.
  • Take on a leadership role in a student group or teamOrganizing people, assigning tasks, and resolving conflicts are the everyday skills of a first-line supervisor.
  • Take basic business or project management coursesLearning scheduling, budgeting, and communication helps you move from supervising crews toward roles like construction manager later on.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask about apprenticeship programs early. Many trades let you earn while you learn, and the training often counts toward the experience supervisors are expected to have.
  • Get a basic safety certification such as OSHA 10-hour construction while you're still a student. Safety knowledge is a big part of any supervisor's job.
  • Practice leadership now. Take a leadership role on a team, in a club, or on a work crew, and pay attention to how the people in charge plan and communicate.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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