Section chief vs mechanics supervisor

The differences between section chiefs and mechanics supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a section chief and a mechanics supervisor. Additionally, a section chief has an average salary of $78,816, which is higher than the $65,285 average annual salary of a mechanics supervisor.

The top three skills for a section chief include safety procedures, training programs and professional development. The most important skills for a mechanics supervisor are preventive maintenance, safety procedures, and mechanical maintenance.

Section chief vs mechanics supervisor overview

	Section Chief	Mechanics Supervisor
Yearly salary	$78,816	$65,285
Hourly rate	$37.89	$31.39
Growth rate	6%	-
Number of jobs	13,655	7,956
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	4	4

What does a section chief do?

A section chief's job varies with the type of organization. In most cases, a section chief is the head of a given section in an organization that is tasked with performing certain duties. A section chief is the head of a unit and provides leadership, motivation, and management of a section of employees. Their duties and responsibilities include reviewing and overseeing budgets, expenditure, and section activities.

What does a mechanics supervisor do?

A mechanics supervisor is responsible for coordinating mechanical and installation work and supervising installers, mechanics, and repairmen. They are responsible for scheduling these tasks and ensuring all operations run efficiently. Mechanics supervisors also inspect work done by mechanics under their supervision, examine tools to ensure that they are in good working condition, and maintain logs of machine repair and maintenance.

Section chief vs mechanics supervisor salary

Section chiefs and mechanics supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Section Chief	Mechanics Supervisor
Average salary	$78,816	$65,285
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $163,000	Between $49,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	Washington
Best paying company	Learjet	Cirrus Aircraft
Best paying industry	Government	Energy

Differences between section chief and mechanics supervisor education

There are a few differences between a section chief and a mechanics supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Section Chief	Mechanics Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Business	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	Northwestern University

Section chief vs mechanics supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between section chiefs' and mechanics supervisors' demographics:

	Section Chief	Mechanics Supervisor
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6%	Male, 95.3% Female, 4.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 2.1% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 2.1% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between section chief and mechanics supervisor duties and responsibilities

Section chief example responsibilities.

Manage sortie production on 17 USAF E-8C aircraft worth $6.2 billion.
Manage HAZMAT accumulation storage points and documentation.
Manage training time effectively ensuring employees have every opportunity to learn necessary skills to succeed in a combat environment.
Assist in planning, implementing and administering educational training that enhance performance in combat operations for soldiers to accomplish every mission.
Provide leadership and knowledge of federal shipping and logistics regulations by managing adherence to all policies and procedures from higher headquarters.
Complete HAZMAT transport course and establish on-site certifying capability.

Mechanics supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage the outside landscaping contractor for all the GMP buildings.
Manage routine maintenance and modifications for locomotives as well as preventative maintenance for freight cars.
Maintain hydraulic systems, pneumatic systems, electrical systems, gas equipment, diesel equipment, HVAC, AC/DC systems.
Control compliance with OSHA safety regulations and the company's quality assurance program in the performance of maintenance and modifications activities.
Perform electrical, plumbing, mechanical and HVAC responsibilities along with property maintenance and consistent high quality customer service.
Perform GMP calibration documentation for FDA.

Section chief vs mechanics supervisor skills

Common section chief skills

Safety Procedures, 22%
Training Programs, 9%
Professional Development, 7%
Logistical Support, 6%
Combat, 6%
Corrective Action, 5%

Common mechanics supervisor skills

Preventive Maintenance, 12%
Safety Procedures, 9%
Mechanical Maintenance, 7%
Mechanical Equipment, 5%
CMMS, 5%
HVAC, 5%

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Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Section Chief
Section Chief vs Mechanics Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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