Production supervisor vs manufacturing supervisor

The differences between production supervisors and manufacturing 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 manufacturing supervisor. Additionally, a manufacturing supervisor has an average salary of $71,330, which is higher than the $63,391 average annual salary of a production supervisor.

The top three skills for a production supervisor include lean manufacturing, safety procedures and production schedules. The most important skills for a manufacturing supervisor are continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and safety regulations.

Production supervisor vs manufacturing supervisor overview

	Production Supervisor	Manufacturing Supervisor
Yearly salary	$63,391	$71,330
Hourly rate	$30.48	$34.29
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	83,529	68,725
Job satisfaction	4.33	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
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 manufacturing supervisor do?

A manufacturing supervisor is a management-level employee who takes responsibility for the daily operations of the production processes in the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing supervisors execute different roles as sponsors, coaches, directors, counselors, and educators. They supervise staff, organize the production team, and monitor the overall workflow. There are necessary skills for this position, including adaptability, cooperation, verbal and written communication, and conflict resolution. The supervisors are also expected to be skilled in mentorship and in making a sound decision.

Production supervisor vs manufacturing supervisor salary

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

	Production Supervisor	Manufacturing Supervisor
Average salary	$63,391	$71,330
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $91,000	Between $55,000 And $92,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Newark, NJ
Highest paying state	California	Maine
Best paying company	Intuitive Surgical	Boehringer Ingelheim
Best paying industry	Automotive	Pharmaceutical

Differences between production supervisor and manufacturing supervisor education

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

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

Production supervisor vs manufacturing supervisor demographics

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

	Production Supervisor	Manufacturing Supervisor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6%	Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3%
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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 4.4% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between production supervisor and manufacturing 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.

Manufacturing supervisor example responsibilities.

Conduct all safety meeting and manage the employee's time keeping (Kronos).
Review and correct documentation and batch records while managing RODAC testing and leading CAPA investigations.
Lead, develop, and implement the KANBAN system by providing better flows of raw material and production.
Manage a team of 16-35 to insure packaging lines are running to standards as far as USDA guidelines and company productivity.
Lead sigma program driving quality, productivity and delivery improvements.
Manage a team of QC inspectors for inspecting automotive components from manufacturing line

Production supervisor vs manufacturing supervisor skills

Common production supervisor skills

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

Common manufacturing supervisor skills

Continuous Improvement, 10%
Lean Manufacturing, 9%
Safety Regulations, 5%
Quality Standards, 5%
GMP, 5%
Production Schedules, 5%

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Production Supervisor vs Manufacturing Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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