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The differences between area supervisors and lead associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an area supervisor and a lead associate. Additionally, a lead associate has an average salary of $54,903, which is higher than the $40,965 average annual salary of an area supervisor.
The top three skills for an area supervisor include ladders, cleanliness and sales floor. The most important skills for a lead associate are PET, leadership, and POS.
| Area Supervisor | Lead Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $40,965 | $54,903 |
| Hourly rate | $19.69 | $26.40 |
| Growth rate | 6% | - |
| Number of jobs | 106,356 | 188,353 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An area supervisor opens and closes the store, maintains a comfortable and friendly shop environment, and supervises associates. Area supervisors are responsible for keeping track of daily operations in the business. They are in charge of the maintenance, production, and other work performed in certain areas. Their responsibilities include the recruitment and training of staff, solving customer issues, updating records, and completing other tasks assigned by directors. It is also their responsibility to schedule the work hours of employees.
The duties of a lead associate depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In a retail setting, their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify new business opportunities, devising strategies to optimize sales, and reaching out to clients through calls and correspondence. A lead associate may offer products and services to potential clients, answer inquiries, conduct demonstrations, process payments, arrange billing plans, and perform follow-up calls. Furthermore, they may also handle issues and concerns, resolving them in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
Area supervisors and lead associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Area Supervisor | Lead Associate | |
| Average salary | $40,965 | $54,903 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $61,000 | Between $25,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lancaster, PA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Tesla | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between an area supervisor and a lead associate in terms of educational background:
| Area Supervisor | Lead Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between area supervisors' and lead associates' demographics:
| Area Supervisor | Lead Associate | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.5% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |