Lead operator vs operations team leader

The differences between lead operators and operations team leaders 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 an operations team leader. Additionally, a lead operator has an average salary of $88,429, which is higher than the $55,160 average annual salary of an operations team leader.

The top three skills for a lead operator include customer service, HR and process improvement. The most important skills for an operations team leader are customer service, continuous improvement, and excellent interpersonal.

Lead operator vs operations team leader overview

	Lead Operator	Operations Team Leader
Yearly salary	$88,429	$55,160
Hourly rate	$42.51	$26.52
Growth rate	7%	6%
Number of jobs	87,338	179,669
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
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 an operations team leader do?

An operations team leader is an individual who manages teams, encouraging cooperation, productivity, and teamwork. Operations team leaders foster team unity and enhance the daily efficiency of the companies or any business establishment. They manage a diverse workforce in companies to make sure that the organizational operations are efficient. Also, they implement programs and processes and oversee building maintenance. It is also their responsibility to manage mechanical and human resources and establish a team budget.

Lead operator vs operations team leader salary

Lead operators and operations team leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lead Operator	Operations Team Leader
Average salary	$88,429	$55,160
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $142,000	Between $28,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Meta	McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between lead operator and operations team leader education

There are a few differences between a lead operator and an operations team leader in terms of educational background:

	Lead Operator	Operations Team Leader
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Lead operator vs operations team leader demographics

Here are the differences between lead operators' and operations team leaders' demographics:

	Lead Operator	Operations Team Leader
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 73.5% Female, 26.5%	Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8%
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, 12.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 4.7% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between lead operator and operations team leader 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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Operations team leader example responsibilities.

Manage a team of CNC operators during the facility's exit strategy for machining.
Help develop new WMS system and implement real time visual control charts to achieve production and quality KPI metrics.
Manage SLA by prioritizing and resolving requests/Incidents in accordance with agree service level agreement.
Manage an embed Facebook executive protection team that provide security and logistical support for a corporate executive and his family.
Initiate and complete deviations along with CAPA and/or NTR's.
Document production data, including OEE, QPS, and safety tracking forms.

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Lead operator vs operations team leader skills

Common lead operator skills

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

Common operations team leader skills

Customer Service, 15%
Continuous Improvement, 7%
Excellent Interpersonal, 6%
Sales Floor, 6%
Safety Procedures, 5%
Process Improvement, 5%

Lead Operator vs. similar jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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