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Lead supervisor vs working supervisor

The differences between lead supervisors and working 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 working supervisor. Additionally, a working supervisor has an average salary of $49,372, 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 working supervisor are direct supervision, safety rules, and GRASS.

Lead supervisor vs working supervisor overview

Lead SupervisorWorking Supervisor
Yearly salary$42,548$49,372
Hourly rate$20.46$23.74
Growth rate--
Number of jobs71,79644,021
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
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 working supervisor do?

A working supervisor is responsible for overseeing the daily performance of employees. Depending on the business, company, or organization, a working supervisor's primary job is to orchestrate coordinated teamwork. This job requires excellent communication and organizational skills. These skills ensure that working supervisors can transfer information or instructions from higher-level management to employees and provide reports to upper management.

Lead supervisor vs working supervisor salary

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

Lead SupervisorWorking Supervisor
Average salary$42,548$49,372
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $72,000Between $33,000 And $73,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCSan Jose, CA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsWyoming
Best paying companyABBEnsign Energy
Best paying industryManufacturingGovernment

Differences between lead supervisor and working supervisor education

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

Lead SupervisorWorking Supervisor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Lead supervisor vs working supervisor demographics

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

Lead SupervisorWorking Supervisor
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 63.0% Female, 37.0%Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9%
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, 12.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 4.8% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between lead supervisor and working 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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Working supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.
  • Assist operators for driving portion of CDL.
  • Perform service troubleshoot and repair work in between projects.
  • Cut grass using tractor, riding lawn mowers, string trimmers.
  • Supervise billing and payroll personnel, and coordinate the billing process.
  • General lawn care: whipping, weeding, mowing, and raking.
  • Show more

Lead supervisor vs working supervisor skills

Common lead supervisor skills
  • Safety Procedures, 22%
  • PET, 19%
  • Payroll, 12%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Exceptional Guest, 10%
  • Performance Evaluations, 10%
Common working supervisor skills
  • Direct Supervision, 20%
  • Safety Rules, 16%
  • GRASS, 15%
  • Safety Procedures, 12%
  • Payroll, 3%
  • Community Resources, 3%

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