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Lead supervisor vs line supervisor

The differences between lead supervisors and line 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 supervisor and a line supervisor. Additionally, a line supervisor has an average salary of $55,107, which is higher than the $42,548 average annual salary of a lead supervisor.

The top three skills for a lead supervisor include safety procedures, PET and payroll. The most important skills for a line supervisor are safety procedures, direct supervision, and safety rules.

Lead supervisor vs line supervisor overview

Lead SupervisorLine Supervisor
Yearly salary$42,548$55,107
Hourly rate$20.46$26.49
Growth rate--
Number of jobs71,796105,473
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age4646
Years of experience22

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.

What does a line supervisor do?

A line supervisor is responsible for monitoring the line operations within an organization, ensuring the adequacy of line staff on production, and supervising the quality control processes. Line supervisors enforce the highest safety standards and procedures within the premises to avoid operation hazards that might cause delays in the production. They also train new employees, coordinate with the management for process improvement, and develop strategic techniques to minimize excessive costings without compromising the service quality.

Lead supervisor vs line supervisor salary

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

Lead SupervisorLine Supervisor
Average salary$42,548$55,107
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $72,000Between $36,000 And $83,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCEwing, NJ
Highest paying stateMassachusettsWyoming
Best paying companyABBEMC Insurance
Best paying industryManufacturing-

Differences between lead supervisor and line supervisor education

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

Lead SupervisorLine Supervisor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Lead supervisor vs line supervisor demographics

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

Lead SupervisorLine Supervisor
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 63.0% Female, 37.0%Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 4.7% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between lead supervisor and line supervisor duties and responsibilities

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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Line supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Manage the quality control, safety, and sanitation for the second-process of poultry processing while adhering to FDA regulations.
  • Manage and develop associates base on organizational and developmental needs/conduct monthly one-on-ones with each employee to provide guidance and leadership.
  • Schedule crewing (union shop), production scheduling, MRP.
  • Run mechanical machinery to package FDA control medicine, build cardboard displays for different products and package them.
  • Operate manual and pneumatic tools and machinery used in the maintenance of vessels, HVAC and ice arena equipment.
  • Train maintenance personnel in diagnosing and repairing machines to minimize downtime and cost associated with the operation of all machinery.
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Lead supervisor vs line supervisor skills

Common lead supervisor skills
  • Safety Procedures, 22%
  • PET, 19%
  • Payroll, 12%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Exceptional Guest, 10%
  • Performance Evaluations, 10%
Common line supervisor skills
  • Safety Procedures, 15%
  • Direct Supervision, 14%
  • Safety Rules, 8%
  • Continuous Improvement, 6%
  • Food Safety, 5%
  • Assembly Line, 5%

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