General supervisor vs operations manager

The differences between general supervisors and operations managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a general supervisor and an operations manager. Additionally, a general supervisor has an average salary of $78,650, which is higher than the $76,894 average annual salary of an operations manager.

The top three skills for a general supervisor include continuous improvement, production supervisors and oversight. The most important skills for an operations manager are customer service, logistics, and continuous improvement.

General supervisor vs operations manager overview

	General Supervisor	Operations Manager
Yearly salary	$78,650	$76,894
Hourly rate	$37.81	$36.97
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	80,113	343,868
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a general supervisor do?

A general supervisor supervises and oversees the daily performance of workers. They are expected to set goals and deadlines for their company. They may also have to organize employees' workflow and ensure that they understand their duties. They also monitor the productivity of employees and give constructive feedback.

What does an operations manager do?

Operations managers are in charge of running the main business of the organization. They ensure that the business is running smoothly from an operations standpoint. They make sure that the processes in place produce the necessary output by implementing quality control measures. They also manage finances and ensure that there is enough budget to keep the operations of the business running. They also ensure that the production of goods or services is cost-efficient. Operations managers also handle people-related concerns. They are responsible for interviewing candidates, choosing the ones to hire, and ensuring that individuals assigned to operations are properly trained.

General supervisor vs operations manager salary

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

	General Supervisor	Operations Manager
Average salary	$78,650	$76,894
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $104,000	Between $47,000 And $123,000
Highest paying City	Atlantic City, NJ	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Delaware
Best paying company	Southern California Edison	McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between general supervisor and operations manager education

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

	General Supervisor	Operations Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

General supervisor vs operations manager demographics

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

	General Supervisor	Operations Manager
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8%	Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between general supervisor and operations manager duties and responsibilities

General supervisor example 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.
Complete a QC sheet on all VOIP and CATV technicians indicating a pass or fail status.
Need to qualify for ISO with a facility that have no manufacturing or quality processes in place.

Operations manager example responsibilities.

Manage and lead operations that include performance management, organizational development, employment compliance, employee relations, payroll management.
Manage 2HVAC system retrofit replacement teams.
Manage all invoices, A/P, A/R and other accounting duties.
Manage computer operation teams supporting propriety and DoD programs at the Lewisville site.
Manage 45 person division and day to day operations of scheduling, communications, A/R, A/P and customer care.
Manage the export booking and documentation department ensuring smooth on-time delivery.

General supervisor vs operations manager skills

Common general supervisor skills

Continuous Improvement, 13%
Production Supervisors, 9%
Oversight, 7%
Corrective Action, 7%
Safety Procedures, 7%
OSHA, 6%

Common operations manager skills

Customer Service, 23%
Logistics, 7%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Payroll, 5%
Project Management, 4%
Process Improvement, 4%

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General Supervisor
General Supervisor vs Operations Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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