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Skilled Trades

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$79,860

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$50k – $127k

Job outlook

+3% (about average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $70,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree (trade/license)

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

    Entry / Junior

    $49,600

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

    Established

    $79,860

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

    Senior

    $103,325

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.