What is an engineering supervisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Libby Toping,

Steven Fernandez

An engineering supervisor manages a team of engineers. They oversee the design, development, and implementation of engineering solutions. The supervisor ensures that the team meets project deadlines, adheres to safety standards, and maintains quality. They also provide technical guidance, identify areas for improvement, and create training programs. The engineering supervisor works with management, sales, and production departments Overall, they play a critical role in ensuring the success of engineering projects.

What general advice would you give to an engineering supervisor?

Libby Toping

Engineer intern, Crafton Tull

It has definitely been a unique time to start my first job. COVID-19 has caused many of my peers to struggle to find a job, so I think it has caused me to recognize how thankful I am to have a job that I enjoy working and that allows me to improve my community, even in the midst of a pandemic. There are certainly struggles with virtual meetings and mask-wearing, but learning to be flexible and adaptable are skills that I think will make me a better engineer in the long run!

ScoreEngineering SupervisorUS Average

Salary

7.5

Avg. Salary $97,535

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 11.75%

Black or African American 3.11%

Hispanic or Latino 8.89%

Unknown 4.68%

White 71.41%

Gender

female 7.22%

male 92.78%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an engineering supervisor?

Pros

Higher salary and benefits
Opportunity for career growth and advancement
Ability to mentor and develop junior engineers
Exposure to a variety of engineering projects and challenges
Increased job security and stability

Cons

Increased workload and responsibility
Longer hours and potential for work-life balance issues
Risk of burnout and stress-related health problems
Potential for decreased technical involvement in projects
Accountability for project failures or mistakes

Key steps to become an engineering supervisor

Explore engineering supervisor education requirements

Most common engineering supervisor degrees

Bachelor's

64.3 %

Associate

14.8 %

Master's

11.3 %

Start to develop specific engineering supervisor skills

Skills	Percentages
HVAC	9.04%
Plumbing	7.56%
Project Management	6.84%
Preventive Maintenance	5.80%
Customer Service	5.34%

Complete relevant engineering supervisor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New engineering supervisors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an engineering supervisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real engineering supervisor resumes.

Research engineering supervisor duties and responsibilities

Lead Kaizen initiatives to continue improving fulfillment operations.
Implement and maintain ISO certification; become first industrial boiler manufacturer to achieve certification.
Achieve exceptional productivity and quality performance by deploying data analytics and localizing operational KPI metrics.
Manage QA for research orient development efforts and for high visibility, production focuse development efforts tie to revenue generation.

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