How To Become A General Supervisor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a general supervisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The main duty of a general supervisor is to oversee a team of employees and ensure that they meet set objectives, comply with company standards, and reach their full potential when it comes to productivity and job performance.

The job duties of a general supervisor typically involve setting goals and deadlines, organizing workflow, providing coaching and feedback to employees, managing employee records, and resolving any issue that may arise within the team. They may also contribute to the hiring process by interviewing candidates, providing feedback to HR, and training new employees within their team or department.

A high school diploma or GED may be enough to acquire this role. However, a bachelor's degree in business or another related field can be a huge advantage. The same is true for previous work experience in a supervisory role or an entry-level role within the same line of business. More than that, employers look for individuals with strong leadership, communication, people management, and organizational skills.

In the US, a general supervisor makes around $33 an hour or about $68,300 a year. The salary depends on one's experience, expertise, and the industry they are working for.

ScoreGeneral SupervisorUS Average

Salary

6.1

Avg. Salary $78,650

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.6

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.35%

Black or African American 6.17%

Hispanic or Latino 15.14%

Unknown 4.34%

White 67.53%

Gender

female 21.81%

male 78.19%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress Level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.2

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.6

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for General Supervisor in Ashburn, VA

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Key steps to become a general supervisor

Explore general supervisor education requirements

Most common general supervisor degrees

Bachelor's

60.9 %

Associate

14.4 %

Master's

11.4 %

Start to develop specific general supervisor skills

Skills	Percentages
Continuous Improvement	13.19%
Production Supervisors	8.93%
Oversight	7.10%
Corrective Action	6.98%
Safety Procedures	6.76%

Complete relevant general supervisor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New general supervisors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a general supervisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real general supervisor resumes.

Research general supervisor duties and responsibilities

Lead in the development of an organize inventory POS system.
Maintain A/R and A/P, sales reps commissions, and manage the collection process.
Train and manage FOH staff and improve overall quality, organization and professionalism of restaurant and bakery.
Co-Authore and continually improve the POS system.

Prepare your general supervisor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your general supervisor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a general supervisor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable General Supervisor Resume templates

Build a professional General Supervisor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your General Supervisor resume.

Apply for general supervisor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a general supervisor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do general supervisors rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

General Supervisor reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019

Pros

People Busy Money Busy and variety in a job Solving problems

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Cons

Pay is not always up to par. Lots of hours, stress and issues to overcome on day to day operations. Dealing with people isn't always fun. You have to remember that you will never make everyone happy.