Management trainee vs shift supervisor

The differences between management trainees and shift 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 shift supervisor. Additionally, a management trainee has an average salary of $48,477, which is higher than the $34,141 average annual salary of a shift supervisor.

The top three skills for a management trainee include enterprise management, management training and customer service. The most important skills for a shift supervisor are cash handling, store operations, and store management.

Management trainee vs shift supervisor overview

	Management Trainee	Shift Supervisor
Yearly salary	$48,477	$34,141
Hourly rate	$23.31	$16.41
Growth rate	-8%	10%
Number of jobs	88,275	282,079
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
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 shift supervisor do?

Shift supervisors are responsible for the employees assigned to the shift that they are handling. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees who were expected to report to work at the specific shift came in. They also ensure that the employees are doing their jobs while at work. Shift supervisors are expected to ensure that employees are really working during working hours and properly delegate work. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees are productive and efficient in their jobs. They are expected to provide coaching and guidance so that the employees will be able to reach the goals assigned to the work team.

Management trainee vs shift supervisor salary

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

	Management Trainee	Shift Supervisor
Average salary	$48,477	$34,141
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $61,000	Between $26,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	BNSF Railway	AbbVie
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between management trainee and shift supervisor education

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

	Management Trainee	Shift Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Management trainee vs shift supervisor demographics

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

	Management Trainee	Shift Supervisor
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2%	Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9%
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, 8.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between management trainee and shift 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.

Shift supervisor example responsibilities.

Content include math skills, how to manage a monthly budget, job searches, and managing a home.
Manage a team of energy consultants in daily production, SPH (sales per hr.
Evaluate daily job objectives and utilize knowledge of math, physics, and engineering to achieve the desired results.
Manage a part-time managerial shift supervisor position that require daily bookkeeping in POS system.
Prepare overall security plans and manage security operations of organization, including assignments, staffing and payroll.
Carry out administrative functions including tracking ordering and managing inventory, and support the manager in monitoring store security and cleanliness.

Management trainee vs shift 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 shift supervisor skills

Cash Handling, 19%
Store Operations, 9%
Store Management, 9%
Loss Prevention, 7%
Food Products, 7%
Cash Flow, 5%

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Management Trainee
Management Trainee vs Shift Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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