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The differences between management trainees and supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a management trainee, becoming a supervisor takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a supervisor has an average salary of $53,902, which is higher than the $48,477 average annual salary of a management trainee.
The top three skills for a management trainee include enterprise management, management training and customer service. The most important skills for a supervisor are customer service, safety procedures, and sales floor.
| Management Trainee | Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $48,477 | $53,902 |
| Hourly rate | $23.31 | $25.91 |
| Growth rate | -8% | - |
| Number of jobs | 88,275 | 224,920 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
Supervisors are responsible for overseeing the daily functions of employees in a specific team, department, or even a work shift. They create work schedules, organize work processes and workflows, train new hires, provide necessary reports related to the team function and the employees, monitor and evaluate employee performance, and ensure that goals of the specific team or department are met. When needed, supervisors also provide guidance to employees in terms of their career or even personal challenges. They also help in fostering harmonious work relationships by resolving interpersonal conflicts at work. To be successful in their role, they must have leadership skills, time management skills, decision-making capabilities, analytical skills, and problem-solving skills.
Management trainees and supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Management Trainee | Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $48,477 | $53,902 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $61,000 | Between $31,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | BNSF Railway | Reed Smith |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a management trainee and a supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Management Trainee | Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between management trainees' and supervisors' demographics:
| Management Trainee | Supervisor | |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2% | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% |
| 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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |