Continuous improvement leader vs production supervisor

The differences between continuous improvement leaders and production supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a continuous improvement leader and a production supervisor. Additionally, a continuous improvement leader has an average salary of $85,851, which is higher than the $63,391 average annual salary of a production supervisor.

The top three skills for a continuous improvement leader include lean six sigma, sigma and process improvement. The most important skills for a production supervisor are lean manufacturing, safety procedures, and production schedules.

Continuous improvement leader vs production supervisor overview

	Continuous Improvement Leader	Production Supervisor
Yearly salary	$85,851	$63,391
Hourly rate	$41.27	$30.48
Growth rate	6%	-
Number of jobs	35,627	83,529
Job satisfaction	-	4.33
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

What does a continuous improvement leader do?

A continuous improvement leader is an individual who is responsible for measuring and testing procedures to improve production efficiency in a company. Continuous improvement leaders must work closely with human resources employees or trainers so that they can develop a curriculum to bring hires to their peak efficiency quickly. They are required to improve processes and systems in the company as well as implement programs that have continuing long-term benefits. Continuous improvement leaders must also supervise and direct the work of staff members of the CI department.

What does a production supervisor do?

Production supervisors are employees who oversee the production process, usually handling activities directly related to people management. They manage employees by ensuring that the production floor employees are doing their work well and are motivated. Production supervisors guide employees and ensure that everyone is working towards company goals. They properly communicate these goals as well as the strategies to meet the set goals. Production supervisors have a direct hand in the hiring and subsequent training of employees. They should have good communication skills, decision-making skills, and leadership skills.

Continuous improvement leader vs production supervisor salary

Continuous improvement leaders and production supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Continuous Improvement Leader	Production Supervisor
Average salary	$85,851	$63,391
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $115,000	Between $43,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City	Fall River, MA	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	Wyoming	California
Best paying company	Bunge	Intuitive Surgical
Best paying industry	Energy	Automotive

Differences between continuous improvement leader and production supervisor education

There are a few differences between a continuous improvement leader and a production supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Continuous Improvement Leader	Production Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	Stanford University

Continuous improvement leader vs production supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between continuous improvement leaders' and production supervisors' demographics:

	Continuous Improvement Leader	Production Supervisor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2%	Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 5.4% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between continuous improvement leader and production supervisor duties and responsibilities

Continuous improvement leader example responsibilities.

Manage and conduct internal audits for ISO and Schlumberger CLMS procedures.
Design and implement a SharePoint base pre-production operational checklist application to automate documentation retrieval.
Mentor trainees on projects and assist through the DMAIC process.
Provide training on DMAIC and basic problem solving methodologies company wide.
Introduce the concepts of OEE and throughput time into the report.
Oversee the Jonesboro press site total preventative maintenance plan and member of multi site TPM steering team.

Production supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage an run extruders an injection molds.
Utilize MRP system to monitor and manage raw material and finish goods inventory.
Manage employee's schedules, time off requests, vacation and payroll with the KRONOS time management software.
Manage departments responsible for beginning raw material production process using automate CNC control plasma cutting machines.
Lead targeted decision-making across fast-pace production operations for this growth-orient USDA food factory producing quality meat products.
Manage manufacturing department operations to ensure compliance with establish quality specifications, production levels, and FDA regulations.

Continuous improvement leader vs production supervisor skills

Common continuous improvement leader skills

Lean Six Sigma, 13%
Sigma, 10%
Process Improvement, 8%
Continuous Improvement, 7%
Project Management, 7%
Lean Manufacturing, 6%

Common production supervisor skills

Lean Manufacturing, 9%
Safety Procedures, 6%
Production Schedules, 6%
Quality Standards, 5%
Customer Service, 4%
ISO, 4%

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Continuous Improvement Leader vs Production Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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