Office supervisor vs unit supervisor

The differences between office supervisors and unit supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an office supervisor and a unit supervisor. Additionally, a unit supervisor has an average salary of $48,749, which is higher than the $42,965 average annual salary of an office supervisor.

The top three skills for an office supervisor include patients, office procedures and data entry. The most important skills for a unit supervisor are patients, corrective action, and social work.

Office supervisor vs unit supervisor overview

	Office Supervisor	Unit Supervisor
Yearly salary	$42,965	$48,749
Hourly rate	$20.66	$23.44
Growth rate	-8%	6%
Number of jobs	55,683	37,120
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does an office supervisor do?

An office supervisor is responsible for overseeing the progress of the workflow and workforce in an office or similar setting, ensuring everything is running smoothly. Aside from this, they must also carry out other tasks such as processing paperwork, preparing reports and presentations, managing schedules, responding to inquiries, and handling correspondence. There are also instances when a supervisor must evaluate staff and address any issues. Furthermore, as an office supervisor, it is also their responsibility to implement the policies and guidelines of the company.

What does a unit supervisor do?

A unit supervisor oversees and supervises employees, ensuring that work operations adhere to standards, guidelines, timelines, and budget. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their industry or company of employment, they are typically in charge of conducting regular inspections and assessments, setting objectives and guidelines, delegating responsibilities among staff, and producing progress reports, submitting them to higher-ranking managers. Moreover, aside from leading teams to reach goals, a unit supervisor also trains new members of the workforce, provides technical support to staff, and resolves issues and concerns to maintain smooth operations.

Office supervisor vs unit supervisor salary

Office supervisors and unit supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Office Supervisor	Unit Supervisor
Average salary	$42,965	$48,749
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $60,000	Between $30,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	Jersey City, NJ	Olympia, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	Epiq	Berkshire Hathaway
Best paying industry	Health Care	Hospitality

Differences between office supervisor and unit supervisor education

There are a few differences between an office supervisor and a unit supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Office Supervisor	Unit Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	California State University - Bakersfield

Office supervisor vs unit supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between office supervisors' and unit supervisors' demographics:

	Office Supervisor	Unit Supervisor
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 25.7% Female, 74.3%	Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between office supervisor and unit supervisor duties and responsibilities

Office supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage A/R, A/P, credentialing, surgery scheduling, and coordinate patient referrals to other physicians.
Create, execute, and maintain all AP and AR procedures
Set up presentations for clients with Microsoft PowerPoint.
Conduct all training in the office using Microsoft PowerPoint.
Process payroll in QuickBooks for up to 60 staff members.
Assist residents and families with billing issues, insurance questions and applying for Medicaid nursing home grants.

Show more

Unit supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage direct support professionals serving adult populations for persons with mental health, developmental disabilities and children with autism.
Document patient information and recording information correctly, as well as ensuring other workers are following OSHA and HIPAA requirements.
Attend weekly QA collaboration meetings and actively participate in discussions.
Utilize Kaizen activities to drive continuous process and quality improvements.
Submit MDS assessments to CMS timely and organize documentation for timely filing.
Evaluate admissions for Medicare/ Medicaid eligibility; prepare MDS and PPS documentation.

Show more

Office supervisor vs unit supervisor skills

Common office supervisor skills

Patients, 17%
Office Procedures, 8%
Data Entry, 6%
Office Operations, 5%
Quality Customer Service, 5%
Patient Care, 4%

Common unit supervisor skills

Patients, 11%
Corrective Action, 10%
Social Work, 8%
Oversight, 7%
Conflict Resolution, 6%
Direct Supervision, 6%

Office Supervisor vs. similar jobs

Office Supervisor related careers

Office Supervisor related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z