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The differences between administrators and supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an administrator and a supervisor. Additionally, an administrator has an average salary of $72,882, which is higher than the $53,902 average annual salary of a supervisor.
The top three skills for an administrator include customer service, data entry and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a supervisor are customer service, safety procedures, and sales floor.
| Administrator | Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $72,882 | $53,902 |
| Hourly rate | $35.04 | $25.91 |
| Growth rate | 5% | - |
| Number of jobs | 67,553 | 224,920 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Administrators are administrative professionals who oversee the whole office or department. They manage office activities and supervise administrative functions in the office. They work the office calendar and oversee the appointment-setting process. They coordinate office events and ensure that all preparations are made and that there are no conflicting schedules. They also maintain a database of external providers of various office needs. Administrators also oversee office supplies and prepare purchase requisitions. They also manage janitorial services and other functions that are related to the maintenance of the physical office space. Administrators ensure that all fixtures and equipment in the office are functioning well and have no problems.
Supervisors are responsible for overseeing the daily functions of employees in a specific team, department, or even a work shift. They create work schedules, organize work processes and workflows, train new hires, provide necessary reports related to the team function and the employees, monitor and evaluate employee performance, and ensure that goals of the specific team or department are met. When needed, supervisors also provide guidance to employees in terms of their career or even personal challenges. They also help in fostering harmonious work relationships by resolving interpersonal conflicts at work. To be successful in their role, they must have leadership skills, time management skills, decision-making capabilities, analytical skills, and problem-solving skills.
Administrators and supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Administrator | Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $72,882 | $53,902 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $113,000 | Between $31,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Apple | Reed Smith |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an administrator and a supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Administrator | Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between administrators' and supervisors' demographics:
| Administrator | Supervisor | |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0% | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |