Line manager vs section manager

The differences between line managers and section 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 line manager and a section manager. Additionally, a section manager has an average salary of $95,857, which is higher than the $56,406 average annual salary of a line manager.

The top three skills for a line manager include client facing, continuous improvement and service line. The most important skills for a section manager are career development, project management, and DOD.

Line manager vs section manager overview

	Line Manager	Section Manager
Yearly salary	$56,406	$95,857
Hourly rate	$27.12	$46.09
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	369,491	293,821
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a line manager do?

As line managers, they oversee other employees and the business operations while reporting to a higher manager. They play a significant role in the operation of the business from supervising and managing workers daily and acting as a link to upper management and employees. It is part of their responsibility to recruit and hire talent to fill team positions, provide training and learning to new hires, and ensuring that the employees are doing their jobs effectively and efficiently.

What does a section manager do?

A section manager is responsible for supervising the overall production processes and operations of an organization. Section managers ensure that their designated sections run accurately and efficiently while following the highest standard protocols and internal regulations. They also identify opportunities to maximize the staff's productivity and perform quality control procedures that would enhance the current processes and fix any inconsistencies. A section manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to assist the staff and the business in achieving customer satisfaction.

Line manager vs section manager salary

Line managers and section managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Line Manager	Section Manager
Average salary	$56,406	$95,857
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $116,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	New Brunswick, NJ	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Microsoft	NVIDIA
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between line manager and section manager education

There are a few differences between a line manager and a section manager in terms of educational background:

	Line Manager	Section Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Line manager vs section manager demographics

Here are the differences between line managers' and section managers' demographics:

	Line Manager	Section Manager
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%	Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between line manager and section manager duties and responsibilities

Line manager example responsibilities.

Lead the team in successfully meeting FDA and GMP requirements.
Manage project developing integration and process flows for fab expansion doubling the area and moving to a larger wafer.
Manage team of database administrators, database technicians and systems administrators responsible for maintaining all production, development and QA systems.
Define and enforce GMP's to subordinates.
Train in FDA standards for food industry.
Establish and measure KPI's ensuring all departments maintain the highest levels of performance.

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Section manager example responsibilities.

Implement ISO quality procedures and lead internal audits
Coordinate and manage the security operations of combat convoys moving and transporting equipment to different locations across hostile areas.
Manage payroll distribution process ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and confidentiality to protect client's privacy and prevent liability of exposure.
Perform contract negotiations, vendor selection, product introduction, ISO quality adherence, cost reductions, and inventory balancing.
Perform ongoing research and analysis of internal business requirements and project logistics.
Plan and request signal logistics support for battalion level operations and maintenance.

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Line manager vs section manager skills

Common line manager skills

Client Facing, 11%
Continuous Improvement, 7%
Service Line, 6%
Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Direct Reports, 5%
Process Improvement, 4%

Common section manager skills

Career Development, 9%
Project Management, 9%
DOD, 6%
Performance Reviews, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 5%
RF, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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