Plant superintendent vs general supervisor

The differences between plant superintendents and general supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a plant superintendent, becoming a general supervisor takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a plant superintendent has an average salary of $95,149, which is higher than the $78,650 average annual salary of a general supervisor.

The top three skills for a plant superintendent include plant safety, production supervisors and OSHA. The most important skills for a general supervisor are continuous improvement, production supervisors, and oversight.

Plant superintendent vs general supervisor overview

	Plant Superintendent	General Supervisor
Yearly salary	$95,149	$78,650
Hourly rate	$45.74	$37.81
Growth rate	3%	6%
Number of jobs	31,744	80,113
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	48	44
Years of experience	2	6

What does a plant superintendent do?

Plant superintendents must have skills in operations, productions, and management. They also need a 4-year degree in business or industrial management. Those who choose this career will be called upon to oversee a plant's manufacturing processes and to recommend improvements to increase productivity. They also enforce all state and federal regulations for plant operations and employee safety.

What does a general supervisor do?

A general supervisor supervises and oversees the daily performance of workers. They are expected to set goals and deadlines for their company. They may also have to organize employees' workflow and ensure that they understand their duties. They also monitor the productivity of employees and give constructive feedback.

Plant superintendent vs general supervisor salary

Plant superintendents and general supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plant Superintendent	General Supervisor
Average salary	$95,149	$78,650
Salary range	Between $67,000 And $134,000	Between $59,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	West Sacramento, CA	Atlantic City, NJ
Highest paying state	Alaska	New Jersey
Best paying company	Koch Industries	Southern California Edison
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between plant superintendent and general supervisor education

There are a few differences between a plant superintendent and a general supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Plant Superintendent	General Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Pennsylvania

Plant superintendent vs general supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between plant superintendents' and general supervisors' demographics:

	Plant Superintendent	General Supervisor
Average age	48	44
Gender ratio	Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1%	Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 69.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	10%

Differences between plant superintendent and general supervisor duties and responsibilities

Plant superintendent example responsibilities.

Manage employee's schedules, time off requests, vacation and payroll with the KRONOS time management software.
Establish safety training program and documentation to satisfy OSHA requirements.
Direct and monitor plant personnel in accordance with OSHA regulations and company safety program.
Function as plant buyer, scheduler, maintenance, and QC lab tech.
Assist machine shop employee's adherence to GMP regulations and completing all necessary paperwork.
Organize training programs for the production personnel GMP, safety compliance and S.O.P's.

General supervisor example responsibilities.

Lead in the development of an organize inventory POS system.
Maintain A/R and A/P, sales reps commissions, and manage the collection process.
Train and manage FOH staff and improve overall quality, organization and professionalism of restaurant and bakery.
Co-Authore and continually improve the POS system.
Complete a QC sheet on all VOIP and CATV technicians indicating a pass or fail status.
Need to qualify for ISO with a facility that have no manufacturing or quality processes in place.

Plant superintendent vs general supervisor skills

Common plant superintendent skills

Plant Safety, 10%
Production Supervisors, 9%
OSHA, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Plant Operations, 6%
Lean Manufacturing, 5%

Common general supervisor skills

Continuous Improvement, 13%
Production Supervisors, 9%
Oversight, 7%
Corrective Action, 7%
Safety Procedures, 7%
OSHA, 6%

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Plant Superintendent
Plant Superintendent vs General Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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