Quick answer: First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers in the Seattle area earn a median $80,460 per year, above the national median of $74,450, and the metro employs about 6,760 of them (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Seattle metro | Washington | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $80,460 | $79,310 | $74,450 |
| 10th percentile | $58,640 | $55,020 | $47,130 |
| 25th percentile | $67,340 | $63,510 | $58,630 |
| 75th percentile | $100,400 | $98,690 | $91,680 |
| 90th percentile | $124,130 | $122,830 | $108,750 |
| Employment | 6,760 | 14,500 | 673,430 |
| Location quotient | 0.75 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan statistical area.
The Seattle median of $80,460 is above the national median of $74,450, and above the Washington statewide median of $79,310 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.75 means production supervisors are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Production supervision follows the plants. A metro’s manufacturing base - what it makes and at what scale - is what determines how many shifts need supervising.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Spokane | $75,160 | 1,280 |
| Bellingham | $75,200 | 650 |
| Kennewick | $79,050 | 580 |
| Yakima | $74,930 | 580 |
| Mount Vernon | $79,630 | 550 |
| Bremerton | $115,340 | 500 |
| Longview | $82,060 | 440 |
| Olympia | $73,150 | 260 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Production supervision is not licensed. The credentials that carry weight are the machining, welding or maintenance qualification the supervisor came up through, plus lean and quality certifications employers name in postings - Six Sigma belts and ASQ certifications among them - and OSHA general industry safety training. The degree is what most often distinguishes a lead hand from a shift supervisor.
See the Washington licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with the employers hiring in your area.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 3 schools within 80 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 3 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
The median annual wage for production supervisors in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area is $80,460, above the national median of $74,450 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area employs about 6,760 production supervisors (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Production supervision is not licensed. The credentials that carry weight are the machining, welding or maintenance qualification the supervisor came up through, plus lean and quality certifications employers name in postings - Six Sigma belts and ASQ certifications among them - and OSHA general industry safety training. The degree is what most often distinguishes a lead hand from a shift supervisor. Confirm current requirements with the employers hiring in your area.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies the employers hiring in your area.
The Seattle metro median is $80,460 against a statewide median of $79,310 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
