First line supervisor vs production supervisor

The differences between first line supervisors 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 first line supervisor and a production supervisor. Additionally, a production supervisor has an average salary of $63,391, which is higher than the $54,186 average annual salary of a first line supervisor.

The top three skills for a first line supervisor include safety procedures, personnel actions and corrective action. The most important skills for a production supervisor are lean manufacturing, safety procedures, and production schedules.

First line supervisor vs production supervisor overview

	First Line Supervisor	Production Supervisor
Yearly salary	$54,186	$63,391
Hourly rate	$26.05	$30.48
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	81,452	83,529
Job satisfaction	-	4.33
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

First line supervisor vs production supervisor salary

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

	First Line Supervisor	Production Supervisor
Average salary	$54,186	$63,391
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $82,000	Between $43,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	Wyoming	California
Best paying company	CJ	Intuitive Surgical
Best paying industry	Energy	Automotive

Differences between first line supervisor and production supervisor education

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

	First Line Supervisor	Production Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

First line supervisor vs production supervisor demographics

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

	First Line Supervisor	Production Supervisor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9%	Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6%
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, 11.9% 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 first line supervisor and production 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.

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.

First line supervisor vs production 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 production supervisor skills

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

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First Line Supervisor vs Production Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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