First line supervisor vs working supervisor

The differences between first line supervisors and working 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 working supervisor. Additionally, a first line supervisor has an average salary of $54,186, which is higher than the $49,372 average annual salary of a working supervisor.

The top three skills for a first line supervisor include safety procedures, personnel actions and corrective action. The most important skills for a working supervisor are direct supervision, safety rules, and GRASS.

First line supervisor vs working supervisor overview

	First Line Supervisor	Working Supervisor
Yearly salary	$54,186	$49,372
Hourly rate	$26.05	$23.74
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	81,452	44,021
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

First line supervisor vs working supervisor salary

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

	First Line Supervisor	Working Supervisor
Average salary	$54,186	$49,372
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $82,000	Between $33,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Wyoming	Wyoming
Best paying company	CJ	Ensign Energy
Best paying industry	Energy	Government

Differences between first line supervisor and working supervisor education

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

	First Line Supervisor	Working Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

First line supervisor vs working supervisor demographics

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

	First Line Supervisor	Working Supervisor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9%	Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9%
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, 12.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 4.8% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between first line supervisor and working 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.

Working supervisor example responsibilities.

Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.
Assist operators for driving portion of CDL.
Perform service troubleshoot and repair work in between projects.
Cut grass using tractor, riding lawn mowers, string trimmers.
Supervise billing and payroll personnel, and coordinate the billing process.
General lawn care: whipping, weeding, mowing, and raking.

First line supervisor vs working 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 working supervisor skills

Direct Supervision, 20%
Safety Rules, 16%
GRASS, 15%
Safety Procedures, 12%
Payroll, 3%
Community Resources, 3%

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First Line Supervisor
First Line Supervisor vs Working Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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