Management trainee vs department supervisor

The differences between management trainees and department supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a management trainee and a department supervisor. Additionally, a management trainee has an average salary of $48,477, which is higher than the $47,300 average annual salary of a department supervisor.

The top three skills for a management trainee include enterprise management, management training and customer service. The most important skills for a department supervisor are store management, product knowledge, and plumbing.

Management trainee vs department supervisor overview

	Management Trainee	Department Supervisor
Yearly salary	$48,477	$47,300
Hourly rate	$23.31	$22.74
Growth rate	-8%	6%
Number of jobs	88,275	216,893
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a management trainee do?

A management trainee's responsibilities will vary in the assigned industry or department. Most of the time, they function as administrative support where the tasks include processing documents and keeping records, preparing presentations, and analyzing reports. There are also instances when a management trainee must take part in implementing policies, crafting strategies, and observe in handling revenue and budget reports. Furthermore, a management trainee works under the supervision of a manager or supervisor, and it is essential to adhere to all policies and regulations at all times.

What does a department supervisor do?

A department supervisor's role is to oversee and ensure a business operation's efficiency in a particular area. Acting as a leader, it is their responsibility to develop strategies on meeting goals within a timeline and ensure that the workforce is functioning effectively in a harmonious environment. Furthermore, a department supervisor is in charge of setting goals such as budget and results, evaluating employees' performances and activities, training new members of the workforce, handling and resolving issues, and enforcing the company's policies and regulations.

Management trainee vs department supervisor salary

Management trainees and department supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Management Trainee	Department Supervisor
Average salary	$48,477	$47,300
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $61,000	Between $33,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Lakewood, NJ
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	BNSF Railway	Club
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Finance

Differences between management trainee and department supervisor education

There are a few differences between a management trainee and a department supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Management Trainee	Department Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Management trainee vs department supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between management trainees' and department supervisors' demographics:

	Management Trainee	Department Supervisor
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2%	Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.8% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between management trainee and department supervisor duties and responsibilities

Management trainee example responsibilities.

Manage internal marketing programs including telemarketing and email campaigns to increase customer activity.
Manage payroll, payments, social security calculations, all administrative functions and vacation rolls coordination.
Develop management and leadership principles while managing, training, and motivating employees in fast-pace, high-volume sales/customer service business.
Develop workforce management, inventory management, leadership, time-management and prioritization skills through working closely with store and department management.
Perform successful sales in roofing and general construction.
Create Instagram and Facebook posts having to do with new clothing shipments.

Department supervisor example responsibilities.

Achieve a high degree of customer relations, in-stock, and store appearance.
Manage geotechnical aspects of an EIR/EIS for a coastal development in an environmentally sensitive lagoon.
Maintain an ISO certify department.
Home depot sales associate , 2/2012 to7/1012
Obtain good working knowledge of EDI.
Assist customers, complete callbacks and diamond counts

Management trainee vs department supervisor skills

Common management trainee skills

Enterprise Management, 14%
Management Training, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Product Knowledge, 8%
Cash Management, 5%
Store Training, 4%

Common department supervisor skills

Store Management, 21%
Product Knowledge, 19%
Plumbing, 18%
Math, 8%
Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Store Sales, 6%

Management Trainee vs. similar jobs

Management Trainee related careers

Management Trainee related jobs

Management Trainee jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Sales Industry
Management Trainee
Management Trainee vs Department Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse sales jobs