Lead operator vs lead supervisor

The differences between lead operators and lead 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 lead operator and a lead supervisor. Additionally, a lead operator has an average salary of $88,429, which is higher than the $42,548 average annual salary of a lead supervisor.

The top three skills for a lead operator include customer service, HR and process improvement. The most important skills for a lead supervisor are safety procedures, PET, and payroll.

Lead operator vs lead supervisor overview

	Lead Operator	Lead Supervisor
Yearly salary	$88,429	$42,548
Hourly rate	$42.51	$20.46
Growth rate	7%	-
Number of jobs	87,338	71,796
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

What does a lead operator do?

Lead operators are responsible for the direction and supervision of the day-to-day activities in facilities. As machine operators, they control machines and take charge of industrial operations. They handle and move objects, monitor processes, and inspect materials, structures, and equipment. Also, they may serve as mentors for the new production employees concerning occupational health and safety. They must be skilled in safety procedures, heavy equipment, preventive maintenance, and other things related to machine operations.

What does a lead supervisor do?

Lead supervisors are responsible for several duties within an organization. They are accountable for overseeing their members and making sure that the work they produce is of good quality. They mainly serve as role models for their staff members, who often seek guidance, leadership, and support from them. When issues arise between employees, lead supervisors should intervene by providing conflict management to ease the situation. They also have to delegate work to employees to get the job done efficiently.

Lead operator vs lead supervisor salary

Lead operators and lead supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lead Operator	Lead Supervisor
Average salary	$88,429	$42,548
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $142,000	Between $25,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Meta	ABB
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between lead operator and lead supervisor education

There are a few differences between a lead operator and a lead supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Lead Operator	Lead Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Lead operator vs lead supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between lead operators' and lead supervisors' demographics:

	Lead Operator	Lead Supervisor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 73.5% Female, 26.5%	Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 4.4% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between lead operator and lead supervisor duties and responsibilities

Lead operator example responsibilities.

Plan, organize, and lead Kaizen activities as well as managed the cost reduction activities from idea to implementation.
Contact potential REO listing brokers achieving the highest return call rate.
Create UAT scripts and utilize statistical process controls to manage loan process quality and ensure consistency.
Achieve goals in various metrics, from sales to plan, payroll, additional services, print center.
Manage and organize incoming records and publications for use on SharePoint.
Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.

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Lead supervisor example responsibilities.

Direct and lead inventory control initiatives and conduct all safety committee meetings per OSHA requirements.
Plan, lead and participate in training, Kaizen and ongoing activities.
Follow the GMP's and safety guidelines, complete reports on computer and manually; and assist line workers.
Coordinate scheduling of several production lines involve in GMP manufacturing.
Check and audit timekeeping and attendance records for compliance standards and payroll integrity.
Institute daily time sheet and accounting reviews reducing errors and almost eliminating after-the-fact payroll and invoicing adjustments.

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Lead operator vs lead supervisor skills

Common lead operator skills

Customer Service, 18%
HR, 10%
Process Improvement, 6%
Project Management, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Safety Procedures, 4%

Common lead supervisor skills

Safety Procedures, 22%
PET, 19%
Payroll, 12%
Customer Service, 11%
Exceptional Guest, 10%
Performance Evaluations, 10%

Lead Operator vs. similar jobs

Lead Operator related careers

Lead Operator related jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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