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The differences between supervisors and operation 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 supervisor and an operation supervisor. Additionally, an operation supervisor has an average salary of $57,279, which is higher than the $53,902 average annual salary of a supervisor.
The top three skills for a supervisor include customer service, safety procedures and sales floor. The most important skills for an operation supervisor are logistics, safety procedures, and OSHA.
| Supervisor | Operation Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $53,902 | $57,279 |
| Hourly rate | $25.91 | $27.54 |
| Growth rate | - | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 224,920 | 94,116 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Supervisors are responsible for overseeing the daily functions of employees in a specific team, department, or even a work shift. They create work schedules, organize work processes and workflows, train new hires, provide necessary reports related to the team function and the employees, monitor and evaluate employee performance, and ensure that goals of the specific team or department are met. When needed, supervisors also provide guidance to employees in terms of their career or even personal challenges. They also help in fostering harmonious work relationships by resolving interpersonal conflicts at work. To be successful in their role, they must have leadership skills, time management skills, decision-making capabilities, analytical skills, and problem-solving skills.
Operations supervisors manage a specific operations-related team or department. They ensure that all the agreed-upon key performance indicators are being met. They also address any performance challenges and strategize on how to improve different areas in the team. They communicate team goals and balance the organization's requirements with the team's profile. Operations supervisors also manage the employees under their department. They hire for vacancies and train new employees. They also ensure that employees are properly coached for improvement. Operations supervisors are expected to be strategic, personable, and good communicators.
Supervisors and operation supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Supervisor | Operation Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $53,902 | $57,279 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $92,000 | Between $37,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Kansas City, KS |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Louisiana |
| Best paying company | Reed Smith | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a supervisor and an operation supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Supervisor | Operation Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between supervisors' and operation supervisors' demographics:
| Supervisor | Operation Supervisor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% | Male, 70.8% Female, 29.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |