Front desk supervisor vs unit supervisor

The differences between front desk supervisors and unit 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 front desk supervisor and a unit supervisor. Additionally, a unit supervisor has an average salary of $48,749, which is higher than the $34,885 average annual salary of a front desk supervisor.

The top three skills for a front desk supervisor include reservations, guest service and room availability. The most important skills for a unit supervisor are patients, corrective action, and social work.

Front desk supervisor vs unit supervisor overview

	Front Desk Supervisor	Unit Supervisor
Yearly salary	$34,885	$48,749
Hourly rate	$16.77	$23.44
Growth rate	-	6%
Number of jobs	69,802	37,120
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a front desk supervisor do?

The primary role of front desk supervisors is to oversee the front desk of an establishment. Their duties and responsibilities include welcoming guests, taking their personal information, and selecting the rooms that suit their needs. Other responsibilities also include communicating and guiding other hotel staff members, providing extra services as requested by guests, and resolving any problems that might experience by guests. You are more likely to be hired as a front desk supervisor if you meet several qualifications that include having relevant hotel experience, attention to detail, and committed to delivering the best customer service.

What does a unit supervisor do?

A unit supervisor oversees and supervises employees, ensuring that work operations adhere to standards, guidelines, timelines, and budget. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their industry or company of employment, they are typically in charge of conducting regular inspections and assessments, setting objectives and guidelines, delegating responsibilities among staff, and producing progress reports, submitting them to higher-ranking managers. Moreover, aside from leading teams to reach goals, a unit supervisor also trains new members of the workforce, provides technical support to staff, and resolves issues and concerns to maintain smooth operations.

Front desk supervisor vs unit supervisor salary

Front desk supervisors and unit supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Front Desk Supervisor	Unit Supervisor
Average salary	$34,885	$48,749
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $45,000	Between $30,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Olympia, WA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Washington
Best paying company	Punderson Manor Lodge & Conference Center	Berkshire Hathaway
Best paying industry	Retail	Hospitality

Differences between front desk supervisor and unit supervisor education

There are a few differences between a front desk supervisor and a unit supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Front Desk Supervisor	Unit Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Cornell University	California State University - Bakersfield

Front desk supervisor vs unit supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between front desk supervisors' and unit supervisors' demographics:

	Front Desk Supervisor	Unit Supervisor
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 32.7% Female, 67.3%	Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between front desk supervisor and unit supervisor duties and responsibilities

Front desk supervisor example responsibilities.

Organize all large group events, manage company website and Facebook page.
Utilize extensive manage care knowledge including Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare to support business objectives.
Manage the doctor's agenda, reception area, phone calls, emails, POS system, and accounts receivables.
Manage POS deposits and reconciliations for membership and accessory sales.
Assist customers with reservation and hotel procedures, consistently manage PBX and hotel operations and customer relations
Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.

Unit supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage direct support professionals serving adult populations for persons with mental health, developmental disabilities and children with autism.
Document patient information and recording information correctly, as well as ensuring other workers are following OSHA and HIPAA requirements.
Attend weekly QA collaboration meetings and actively participate in discussions.
Utilize Kaizen activities to drive continuous process and quality improvements.
Submit MDS assessments to CMS timely and organize documentation for timely filing.
Evaluate admissions for Medicare/ Medicaid eligibility; prepare MDS and PPS documentation.

Front desk supervisor vs unit supervisor skills

Common front desk supervisor skills

Reservations, 23%
Guest Service, 10%
Room Availability, 7%
Computer System, 4%
Customer Service, 4%
Guest Rooms, 3%

Common unit supervisor skills

Patients, 11%
Corrective Action, 10%
Social Work, 8%
Oversight, 7%
Conflict Resolution, 6%
Direct Supervision, 6%

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Front Desk Supervisor
Front Desk Supervisor vs Unit Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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