Material manager vs materials supervisor

The differences between material managers and materials 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 material manager, becoming a materials supervisor takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a material manager has an average salary of $96,125, which is higher than the $67,592 average annual salary of a materials supervisor.

The top three skills for a material manager include supply chain, logistics and customer service. The most important skills for a materials supervisor are continuous improvement, safety procedures, and logistics.

Material manager vs materials supervisor overview

	Material Manager	Materials Supervisor
Yearly salary	$96,125	$67,592
Hourly rate	$46.21	$32.50
Growth rate	-6%	6%
Number of jobs	43,759	61,634
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	47	46
Years of experience	6	2

What does a material manager do?

A material manager is responsible for monitoring inventories and stock supplies, ensuring the adequacy of materials needed for manufacturing or other operations, depending on the organization's industry. Material managers meet with suppliers and third-party vendors, negotiating contracts that would fit the budget goals of the company without compromising quality. They manage the distribution of resources throughout the organizations' department and provide purchase reports for the management. A material manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to address the needs of an organization for smooth operations.

What does a materials supervisor do?

The job of a materials supervisor is to oversee the shipping, receiving, handling, and warehousing of materials. You will supervise the transport of materials and ensure that the material needs of an organization are met. Typical job duties include overseeing the daily business operations of the group, ensuring best practices in safety, productivity, housekeeping. The supervisors ensure that attendance is being followed and monitoring routine operations in materials management, including logistics and planning. As a materials supervisor, you are also expected to mentor team members for professional and personal development.

Material manager vs materials supervisor salary

Material managers and materials supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Material Manager	Materials Supervisor
Average salary	$96,125	$67,592
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $126,000	Between $51,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City	Menlo Park, CA	Elkhart, IN
Highest paying state	California	Wyoming
Best paying company	Meta	Mercy Corps
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between material manager and materials supervisor education

There are a few differences between a material manager and a materials supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Material Manager	Materials Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Material manager vs materials supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between material managers' and materials supervisors' demographics:

	Material Manager	Materials Supervisor
Average age	47	46
Gender ratio	Male, 77.7% Female, 22.3%	Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 4.8% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	11%	6%

Differences between material manager and materials supervisor duties and responsibilities

Material manager example responsibilities.

Implement vendor manage inventory (VMI) programs with three key suppliers.
Improve cash flow and increase OTD through the introduction of vendor consignment and vendor manage inventory programs.
Identify optimal purchasing periods for conducting RFQ's in order to take advantage of peak supply periods.
Expedite and project manage materials, heavy contact with vendors and clients to coordinate shipments of materials.
Manage forecasts, orders, and inventory levels via EDI and customer portals to meet OEM demand.
Manage OEM inventory to meet warranty and customer requirements.

Materials supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage the inventory of electrical parts and component using KANBAN.
Manage a free BOM scrubber design to review manufacturer's current part lists.
Develop, implement, and manage logistics of outsource manufacturing operations to sister companies in Canada and Italy.
Establish procedures that manage critical factors such as moisture sensitivity, electrostatic discharge, storeroom temperature and FIFO inventory staging system.
Implement new inventory management system into MRP.
Implement OSHA forklift safety standards to ensure safe and efficient warehouse operations when unloading freight trucks.

Material manager vs materials supervisor skills

Common material manager skills

Supply Chain, 12%
Logistics, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Inventory Control, 5%
Materials Management, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 5%

Common materials supervisor skills

Continuous Improvement, 6%
Safety Procedures, 6%
Logistics, 6%
Inventory Control, 6%
Shipping Receiving, 5%
MRP, 4%

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Material Manager
Material Manager vs Materials Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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