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The differences between functional managers and operations superintendents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a functional manager, becoming an operations superintendent takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a functional manager has an average salary of $113,849, which is higher than the $104,699 average annual salary of an operations superintendent.
The top three skills for a functional manager include professional development, customer service and ERP. The most important skills for an operations superintendent are safety program, OSHA, and direct supervision.
| Functional Manager | Operations Superintendent | |
| Yearly salary | $113,849 | $104,699 |
| Hourly rate | $54.74 | $50.34 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 48,500 | 89,991 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
A functional manager handles resources in a certain department like IT, engineering, PR, or marketing. Generally, they direct the technical work of employees from that functional part who are working on the project. They share responsibility with the project manager for directing the work of employees. They assign specific employees to the team and discuss with the project manager regarding resources to improved staff utilization. In addition, they also participate in the initial planning until activities are assigned and recommend possible changes to the project, including corrective actions.
Operations Superintendent plans and oversees the daily operations of an organization. They have the authority to set objectives and guidelines, establish budgets and schedules, delegate tasks among staff, and develop strategies to optimize operations and meet project requirements. It is also their responsibility to monitor the performance of the workforce and resolve issues promptly and efficiently. Moreover, an Operations Superintendent leads and encourages the employees to reach goals while implementing their policies and regulations.
Functional managers and operations superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Functional Manager | Operations Superintendent | |
| Average salary | $113,849 | $104,699 |
| Salary range | Between $88,000 And $146,000 | Between $72,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Apple | California Resources |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a functional manager and an operations superintendent in terms of educational background:
| Functional Manager | Operations Superintendent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between functional managers' and operations superintendents' demographics:
| Functional Manager | Operations Superintendent | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8% | Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |