First-line supervisors of helpers, laborers, and material movers lead teams on job sites and in warehouses. You oversee daily operations, solve problems, and make sure work meets standards. You can start with a high school diploma and move up through experience.
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You manage teams of laborers and material movers, assigning tasks and monitoring their progress. You communicate with supervisors above you and your crew, making sure everyone understands expectations. You watch for safety issues and quality problems, stepping in to solve them quickly. You may use computers to track materials, schedules, or worker performance. Your days involve getting information from multiple sources, making decisions under pressure, and judging whether work meets standards.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand earn a median of $62,890 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is steady. Employment is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as average for all occupations, with about 61,300 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
Most people start in a laborer or material mover role with a high school diploma. You build skills on the job, learning how materials move, how equipment works, and how to work safely. As you gain experience and show you can lead, you move into a supervisory position. Some employers prefer candidates who have worked in their industry for a few years. Leadership skills, reliability, and the ability to communicate clearly matter more than additional certifications.
Most people reach this role by starting as a laborer or material mover and proving themselves over time. If you are thinking about moving into supervision, Pathly can map the first-line supervisor of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand path that fits you to map out the steps with your counselor.
You do not need a license to work as a first-line supervisor of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand, but professional certifications can strengthen your resume.
Common certifications
You like taking charge and making things happen. You are comfortable with responsibility, good at reading people, and enjoy building a team that works well together.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
Start with a quick quiz and assessments that surface your personality, your EQ, and what really motivates you, so your next steps are built around who you actually are.
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Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).