Production Supervisor: career path and pay in the UK
Where a Production Supervisor goes next, what each step typically pays in the United Kingdom, and how exposed the path is to AI replacement. 3 steps, from Production Supervisor to Production Manager / Manufacturing Manager.
Also for the United States: Production Supervisor in the US
The path
Step 1 · 3 to 7 years
Production Supervisor
£30K to £45K
Typical UK pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Supervisory Skills Certification (optional) - Global, Manufacturing Safety Certification (required) - Global, Health & Safety Certification (required) - Global.
Step 2 · 7 to 12 years
Senior Production Supervisor
£35K to £50K
Typical UK pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Supervisory Skills Certification - Global, Manufacturing Safety Certification - Global, Health & Safety Certification - Global, Manufacturing Management Certification (optional) - Global.
Step 3 · 12+ years
Production Manager / Manufacturing Manager
£35K to £55K
Typical UK pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Supervisory Skills Certification - Global, Manufacturing Safety Certification - Global, Health & Safety Certification - Global, Manufacturing Management Certification - Global.
Exposure and pay along the path
Exposure to AI, now to later
24% → 24%
Stays level across the path. Lower is better.
Typical pay, now to later
£30K to £45K → £35K to £55K
UK estimates by job title, Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale UK.
What the work involves
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of production and operating workers, such as inspectors, precision workers, machine setters and operators, assemblers, fabricators, and plant and system operators. Excludes team or work leaders.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing
- Administration and Management
- Personnel and Human Resources
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
Education people bring
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED): 33%
- Some College Courses: 15%
- Less than a High School Diploma: 14%
Job Zone 3, job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Other paths from here
- Production Manager
- Manufacturing Manager
- Operations Manager
- General Manager
More Manufacturing/Warehouse paths in the UK
Related occupations in O*NET: First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers, First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers, First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand, First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators, First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers.
Your own role
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SourcesSalary bands: Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale UK, UK national averages by job title, retrieved September 2026Skills, knowledge and education: O*NET 31.0 Database
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CC BY 4.0
Salary estimates by job title from Glassdoor UK, Indeed UK and PayScale, retrieved September 2026. Each band runs from 20% below to 20% above the reported average, rounded to £5K. Exposure percentages and the skills listed under each step are this app's own editorial ratings, not published data.