Production manager vs production supervisor

The differences between production managers and production 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 production manager and a production supervisor. Additionally, a production manager has an average salary of $78,064, which is higher than the $63,391 average annual salary of a production supervisor.

The top three skills for a production manager include continuous improvement, customer service and quality standards. The most important skills for a production supervisor are lean manufacturing, safety procedures, and production schedules.

Production manager vs production supervisor overview

	Production Manager	Production Supervisor
Yearly salary	$78,064	$63,391
Hourly rate	$37.53	$30.48
Growth rate	3%	-
Number of jobs	95,561	83,529
Job satisfaction	-	4.33
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

What does a production manager do?

Production managers work in show business, whether in film, television shows, or theatre productions. They oversee the whole production and ensure that all agreements are met. They manage finances and budget allocation. They oversee the design of costumes and sets. They also manage the timeline of filming and ensure that the production or filming will finish within the agreed timeline. Production managers also ensure that all stakeholders are satisfied. They build meaningful working relationships with everyone involved, from directors to actors to crew members. They try to mitigate any potential challenges in the production budget and schedule.

What does a production supervisor do?

Production supervisors are employees who oversee the production process, usually handling activities directly related to people management. They manage employees by ensuring that the production floor employees are doing their work well and are motivated. Production supervisors guide employees and ensure that everyone is working towards company goals. They properly communicate these goals as well as the strategies to meet the set goals. Production supervisors have a direct hand in the hiring and subsequent training of employees. They should have good communication skills, decision-making skills, and leadership skills.

Production manager vs production supervisor salary

Production managers and production supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Production Manager	Production Supervisor
Average salary	$78,064	$63,391
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $120,000	Between $43,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	California
Best paying company	Cheniere Energy	Intuitive Surgical
Best paying industry	Technology	Automotive

Differences between production manager and production supervisor education

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

	Production Manager	Production Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Production manager vs production supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between production managers' and production supervisors' demographics:

	Production Manager	Production Supervisor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4%	Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between production manager and production supervisor duties and responsibilities

Production manager example responsibilities.

Lead a KAIZEN that save 220k in damages.
Manage lean sigma techniques and Kaizen events to reduce raw material and scrap costs.
Hire and manage crew and locations along with renting necessary film equipment and organizing shoot logistics.
Team member in setting up TPM method of measuring production (OEE), helping to achieve record production results.
Manage data reports, analyze and provide data to improve operational performance to include OEE, process reliability and labor optimization.
Manage production control group and supply replenishment logistics for the manufacturing division.

Production supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage an run extruders an injection molds.
Utilize MRP system to monitor and manage raw material and finish goods inventory.
Manage employee's schedules, time off requests, vacation and payroll with the KRONOS time management software.
Manage departments responsible for beginning raw material production process using automate CNC control plasma cutting machines.
Lead targeted decision-making across fast-pace production operations for this growth-orient USDA food factory producing quality meat products.
Manage manufacturing department operations to ensure compliance with establish quality specifications, production levels, and FDA regulations.

Production manager vs production supervisor skills

Common production manager skills

Continuous Improvement, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Quality Standards, 6%
Safety Procedures, 6%
Lean Manufacturing, 6%
Production Supervisors, 6%

Common production supervisor skills

Lean Manufacturing, 9%
Safety Procedures, 6%
Production Schedules, 6%
Quality Standards, 5%
Customer Service, 4%
ISO, 4%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Production Manager
Production Manager vs Production Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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