Production supervisor vs line supervisor

The differences between production supervisors and line 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 supervisor and a line supervisor. Additionally, a production supervisor has an average salary of $63,391, which is higher than the $55,107 average annual salary of a line supervisor.

The top three skills for a production supervisor include lean manufacturing, safety procedures and production schedules. The most important skills for a line supervisor are safety procedures, direct supervision, and safety rules.

Production supervisor vs line supervisor overview

	Production Supervisor	Line Supervisor
Yearly salary	$63,391	$55,107
Hourly rate	$30.48	$26.49
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	83,529	105,473
Job satisfaction	4.33	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

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.

What does a line supervisor do?

A line supervisor is responsible for monitoring the line operations within an organization, ensuring the adequacy of line staff on production, and supervising the quality control processes. Line supervisors enforce the highest safety standards and procedures within the premises to avoid operation hazards that might cause delays in the production. They also train new employees, coordinate with the management for process improvement, and develop strategic techniques to minimize excessive costings without compromising the service quality.

Production supervisor vs line supervisor salary

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

	Production Supervisor	Line Supervisor
Average salary	$63,391	$55,107
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $91,000	Between $36,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Ewing, NJ
Highest paying state	California	Wyoming
Best paying company	Intuitive Surgical	EMC Insurance
Best paying industry	Automotive	-

Differences between production supervisor and line supervisor education

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

	Production Supervisor	Line Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Production supervisor vs line supervisor demographics

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

	Production Supervisor	Line Supervisor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6%	Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 4.7% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between production supervisor and line supervisor duties and responsibilities

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.

Line supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage the quality control, safety, and sanitation for the second-process of poultry processing while adhering to FDA regulations.
Manage and develop associates base on organizational and developmental needs/conduct monthly one-on-ones with each employee to provide guidance and leadership.
Schedule crewing (union shop), production scheduling, MRP.
Run mechanical machinery to package FDA control medicine, build cardboard displays for different products and package them.
Operate manual and pneumatic tools and machinery used in the maintenance of vessels, HVAC and ice arena equipment.
Train maintenance personnel in diagnosing and repairing machines to minimize downtime and cost associated with the operation of all machinery.

Production supervisor vs line supervisor skills

Common production supervisor skills

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

Common line supervisor skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
Direct Supervision, 14%
Safety Rules, 8%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Food Safety, 5%
Assembly Line, 5%

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Production Supervisor vs Line Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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