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The differences between manufacturing leaders and 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 manufacturing leader and a supervisor. Additionally, a manufacturing leader has an average salary of $89,761, which is higher than the $53,902 average annual salary of a supervisor.
The top three skills for a manufacturing leader include lean manufacturing, continuous improvement and GMP. The most important skills for a supervisor are customer service, safety procedures, and sales floor.
| Manufacturing Leader | Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $89,761 | $53,902 |
| Hourly rate | $43.15 | $25.91 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 87,299 | 224,920 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A manufacturing leader or production leader is someone who takes charge of the manufacturer's production process. Manufacturing leaders plan, organize, and establish a recommendation for manufacturing strategies. They make sure that products are successfully developed based on the specifications. They supervise the teams working in product development and operations. It is part of their job to ensure great production management. They study successes and failures and emphasize growth. Also, they inspire and engage staff at every level of the manufacturing process.
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.
Manufacturing leaders and supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Leader | Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $89,761 | $53,902 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $126,000 | Between $31,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | Reed Smith |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing leader and a supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Leader | Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing leaders' and supervisors' demographics:
| Manufacturing Leader | Supervisor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 4.5% White, 60.3% 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 | 6% | 6% |