General production manager vs shift production supervisor

The differences between general production managers and shift 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 general production manager and a shift production supervisor. Additionally, a shift production supervisor has an average salary of $35,127, which is higher than the $32,434 average annual salary of a general production manager.

The top three skills for a general production manager include general production, food safety and hand tools. The most important skills for a shift production supervisor are continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and production schedules.

General production manager vs shift production supervisor overview

	General Production Manager	Shift Production Supervisor
Yearly salary	$32,434	$35,127
Hourly rate	$15.59	$16.89
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	183,687	132,563
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

What does a general production manager do?

A general production manager is responsible for overseeing the overall production operations for the business, managing staff performance, and ensuring that the team performs with the highest productivity and efficiency. General production managers perform quality control procedures to monitor the stability and effectiveness of current processes and minimize downtimes. They also handle the budget and resource allocation across the department to support activities and enhance performance. A general production manager strategizes workforce policies, adhering to the company's guidelines and protocols, and resolves production discrepancies as soon as they arise.

What does a shift production supervisor do?

A shift production supervisor is in charge of overseeing business operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach production standards and production targets, supervising and assessing staff performance, delegating tasks, managing schedules, and prioritizing customer satisfaction. They may also produce progress reports and presentations, address and resolve any issues or concerns, and train new workforce members. Furthermore, as a supervisor, it is essential to lead and encourage team members, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

General production manager vs shift production supervisor salary

General production managers and shift production supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Production Manager	Shift Production Supervisor
Average salary	$32,434	$35,127
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $22,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	Greeley, CO
Highest paying state	Wyoming	Wyoming
Best paying company	Titan International	Vicor
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between general production manager and shift production supervisor education

There are a few differences between a general production manager and a shift production supervisor in terms of educational background:

	General Production Manager	Shift Production Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

General production manager vs shift production supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between general production managers' and shift production supervisors' demographics:

	General Production Manager	Shift Production Supervisor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 73.3% Female, 26.7%	Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 5.6% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between general production manager and shift production supervisor duties and responsibilities

General production manager example responsibilities.

Demonstrate ability to manage multiple departments and improvement projects, prepare short and long term goals focusing on company KPI's.
Manage production control group and supply replenishment logistics for the manufacturing division.
Facilitate monthly safety meetings and ensure compliance with HACCP, SSOP and GMP.
Return work environment within OSHA standards.
Provide support for ISO 2001 plant accreditation.
Pack finished products manually or by using hoists.

Shift production supervisor example responsibilities.

Set and ensure production rates, troubleshoot process issues, and manage downtime in a safe and effective manner.
Manage manufacturing department operations to ensure compliance with establish quality specifications, production levels, and FDA regulations.
Involve in daily USDA inspections, FDA audits, monitoring HACCP program and maintaining OSHA standards within the plant.
Train on FDA and GMP practices require for the pharmaceutical industry.
Maintain and set-up RF equipment.
Inspect product for quality issues to ISO standards.

General production manager vs shift production supervisor skills

Common general production manager skills

General Production, 32%
Food Safety, 28%
Hand Tools, 12%
HR, 4%
Quality Standards, 3%
Production Floor, 2%

Common shift production supervisor skills

Continuous Improvement, 13%
Lean Manufacturing, 12%
Production Schedules, 4%
OSHA, 4%
Lean Six Sigma, 4%
Quality Standards, 3%

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General Production Manager
General Production Manager vs Shift Production Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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