First line supervisor vs lead supervisor

The differences between first line supervisors and lead 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 first line supervisor and a lead supervisor. Additionally, a first line supervisor has an average salary of $54,186, which is higher than the $42,548 average annual salary of a lead supervisor.

The top three skills for a first line supervisor include safety procedures, personnel actions and corrective action. The most important skills for a lead supervisor are safety procedures, PET, and payroll.

First line supervisor vs lead supervisor overview

	First Line Supervisor	Lead Supervisor
Yearly salary	$54,186	$42,548
Hourly rate	$26.05	$20.46
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	81,452	71,796
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

First line supervisor vs lead supervisor salary

First line supervisors and lead supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	First Line Supervisor	Lead Supervisor
Average salary	$54,186	$42,548
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $82,000	Between $25,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Wyoming	Massachusetts
Best paying company	CJ	ABB
Best paying industry	Energy	Manufacturing

Differences between first line supervisor and lead supervisor education

There are a few differences between a first line supervisor and a lead supervisor in terms of educational background:

	First Line Supervisor	Lead Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

First line supervisor vs lead supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between first line supervisors' and lead supervisors' demographics:

	First Line Supervisor	Lead Supervisor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9%	Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 4.7% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 4.4% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between first line supervisor and lead supervisor duties and responsibilities

First line supervisor example responsibilities.

Lead division payroll meetings and maintain documentation available in share directory and portal to facilitate communication and standardization of payroll procedures.
Serve as commercial hvac division field supervisor.
Instruct supervisors when and where radar posts should occur to reduce speeding.
Supervise for four years a staff of five teamsters in the manufacture of bulk pharmaceuticals according to FDA requirements.
Participate in FDA audits of the manufacturing facility.
Supervise and direct combat engineer objectives within the guidelines of the senior management.

Lead supervisor example responsibilities.

Direct and lead inventory control initiatives and conduct all safety committee meetings per OSHA requirements.
Plan, lead and participate in training, Kaizen and ongoing activities.
Follow the GMP's and safety guidelines, complete reports on computer and manually; and assist line workers.
Coordinate scheduling of several production lines involve in GMP manufacturing.
Check and audit timekeeping and attendance records for compliance standards and payroll integrity.
Institute daily time sheet and accounting reviews reducing errors and almost eliminating after-the-fact payroll and invoicing adjustments.

First line supervisor vs lead supervisor skills

Common first line supervisor skills

Safety Procedures, 28%
Personnel Actions, 17%
Corrective Action, 5%
Logistical Support, 4%
Conflict Resolution, 3%
Combat, 3%

Common lead supervisor skills

Safety Procedures, 22%
PET, 19%
Payroll, 12%
Customer Service, 11%
Exceptional Guest, 10%
Performance Evaluations, 10%

First Line Supervisor vs. similar jobs

First Line Supervisor related careers

First Line Supervisor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Production and Manufacturing Industry
First Line Supervisor
First Line Supervisor vs Lead Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs