Department lead vs shift supervisor

The differences between department leads and 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 a shift supervisor. Additionally, a department lead has an average salary of $42,113, which is higher than the $34,141 average annual salary of a shift supervisor.

The top three skills for a department lead include cleanliness, safety procedures and customer service. The most important skills for a shift supervisor are cash handling, store operations, and store management.

Department lead vs shift supervisor overview

	Department Lead	Shift Supervisor
Yearly salary	$42,113	$34,141
Hourly rate	$20.25	$16.41
Growth rate	-	10%
Number of jobs	204,534	282,079
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 a shift supervisor do?

Shift supervisors are responsible for the employees assigned to the shift that they are handling. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees who were expected to report to work at the specific shift came in. They also ensure that the employees are doing their jobs while at work. Shift supervisors are expected to ensure that employees are really working during working hours and properly delegate work. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees are productive and efficient in their jobs. They are expected to provide coaching and guidance so that the employees will be able to reach the goals assigned to the work team.

Department lead vs shift supervisor salary

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

	Department Lead	Shift Supervisor
Average salary	$42,113	$34,141
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $79,000	Between $26,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	New Haven, CT	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Hawaii
Best paying company	Tufts Medical Center	AbbVie
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between department lead and shift supervisor education

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

	Department Lead	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 College of Technology at Delhi

Department lead vs shift supervisor demographics

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

	Department Lead	Shift Supervisor
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 54.7% Female, 45.3%	Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9%
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, 8.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between department lead and 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.

Shift supervisor example responsibilities.

Content include math skills, how to manage a monthly budget, job searches, and managing a home.
Manage a team of energy consultants in daily production, SPH (sales per hr.
Evaluate daily job objectives and utilize knowledge of math, physics, and engineering to achieve the desired results.
Manage a part-time managerial shift supervisor position that require daily bookkeeping in POS system.
Prepare overall security plans and manage security operations of organization, including assignments, staffing and payroll.
Carry out administrative functions including tracking ordering and managing inventory, and support the manager in monitoring store security and cleanliness.

Department lead vs 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 shift supervisor skills

Cash Handling, 19%
Store Operations, 9%
Store Management, 9%
Loss Prevention, 7%
Food Products, 7%
Cash Flow, 5%

Department Lead vs. similar jobs

Department Lead related careers

Department Lead related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Sales Industry
Department Lead
Department Lead vs Shift Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse sales jobs