Department lead vs assistant shift supervisor

The differences between department leads and assistant shift supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a department lead and an assistant shift supervisor. Additionally, a department lead has an average salary of $42,113, which is higher than the $41,133 average annual salary of an assistant shift supervisor.

The top three skills for a department lead include cleanliness, safety procedures and customer service. The most important skills for an assistant shift supervisor are customer service, safety procedures, and food safety.

Department lead vs assistant shift supervisor overview

	Department Lead	Assistant Shift Supervisor
Yearly salary	$42,113	$41,133
Hourly rate	$20.25	$19.78
Growth rate	-	10%
Number of jobs	204,534	231,282
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a department lead do?

A department lead's responsibilities will vary in an organization or company. It will, most of the time, revolve around overseeing the progress of work in a particular area and evaluating department staff's performance. Other responsibilities include setting goals and implementing the company's policies and guidelines. They may also carry out administrative tasks such as approving and signing paperwork, producing reports and presentations, and crafting guidelines and strategies to help reach goals. Furthermore, as a department head, it is important to encourage staff and shape them into valuable company members.

What does an assistant shift supervisor do?

An assistant shift supervisor helps shift supervisors maintain smooth operations and provide optimal services to clients. Their tasks often include handling calls and correspondence, preparing documentation and presentations, conducting reviews and assessments, coordinating with different teams, managing staff, and overseeing schedules. There are also times when they participate in setting goals, establishing timelines and guidelines, liaising with external business partners, and addressing issues and concerns. Moreover, in the absence of the shift supervisor, an assistant shift supervisor may assume their duties to maintain the smooth workflow of the establishment.

Department lead vs assistant shift supervisor salary

Department leads and assistant shift supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Department Lead	Assistant Shift Supervisor
Average salary	$42,113	$41,133
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $79,000	Between $32,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	New Haven, CT	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Washington
Best paying company	Tufts Medical Center	University of Rochester
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Government

Differences between department lead and assistant shift supervisor education

There are a few differences between a department lead and an assistant shift supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Department Lead	Assistant Shift Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY Farmingdale

Department lead vs assistant shift supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between department leads' and assistant shift supervisors' demographics:

	Department Lead	Assistant Shift Supervisor
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 54.7% Female, 45.3%	Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 7.1% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between department lead and assistant shift supervisor duties and responsibilities

Department lead example responsibilities.

Implement inventory management system to effectively manage on-hands, assist with correct replenishment and maintain an acceptable level of over-stock.
Operate POS system, and receive payment by cash, check, credit cards, vouchers, or automatic debit.
Oversee the completion of all POS transactions, maintain cash office records and assistant in training of all new cashiers.
Conduct geotechnical and geological investigations and mineral resource evaluations for commercial, industrial and governmental clients using the above-mentioned drilling techniques.
Develop unique SQL, cloudbase, and ADHOC telephony query techniques resulting in the identification of previously undiscovered nefarious networks.

Assistant shift supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage store upkeep, handle customer support, train new employees, and frequently complete nightly payroll.
Carry out administrative functions including tracking ordering and managing inventory, and support the manager in monitoring store security and cleanliness.
Perform access control and monitor CCTV cameras at the lobby command center.
Patrol designate areas, enforce state and local laws, issue violations; direct investigations as necessary.
Prepare and submit reports for direct patrol activities.
Assist with payroll administration, department correspondence and other management activities as directed.

Department lead vs assistant shift supervisor skills

Common department lead skills

Cleanliness, 12%
Safety Procedures, 11%
Customer Service, 10%
Store Management, 8%
Inventory Management, 7%
Sales Floor, 6%

Common assistant shift supervisor skills

Customer Service, 16%
Safety Procedures, 12%
Food Safety, 9%
CPR, 9%
Direct Supervision, 7%
Legal Rights, 6%

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Department Lead
Department Lead vs Assistant Shift Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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