Tooling manager vs production supervisor

The differences between tooling 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 tooling manager and a production supervisor. Additionally, a tooling manager has an average salary of $118,897, which is higher than the $63,391 average annual salary of a production supervisor.

The top three skills for a tooling manager include project management, continuous improvement and CNC. The most important skills for a production supervisor are lean manufacturing, safety procedures, and production schedules.

Tooling manager vs production supervisor overview

	Tooling Manager	Production Supervisor
Yearly salary	$118,897	$63,391
Hourly rate	$57.16	$30.48
Growth rate	10%	-
Number of jobs	6,020	83,529
Job satisfaction	-	4.33
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

What does a tooling manager do?

A tooling manager is primarily responsible for overseeing information and data regarding tool systems. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their industry or place of employment, it typically includes setting objectives and guidelines, coordinating with staff to gather and analyze data, liaising with internal and external parties, tracking tool locations, and maintaining records. Moreover, a tooling manager typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.

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.

Tooling manager vs production supervisor salary

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

	Tooling Manager	Production Supervisor
Average salary	$118,897	$63,391
Salary range	Between $89,000 And $158,000	Between $43,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City	Cheyenne, WY	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	Wyoming	California
Best paying company	Meta	Intuitive Surgical
Best paying industry	Automotive	Automotive

Differences between tooling manager and production supervisor education

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

	Tooling Manager	Production Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Tooling manager vs production supervisor demographics

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

	Tooling Manager	Production Supervisor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 89.5% Female, 10.5%	Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.5% White, 62.8% 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 tooling manager and production supervisor duties and responsibilities

Tooling manager example responsibilities.

Manage fastener development and prototyping, and work to reduce cost across large part of fastener commodities.
Lead JSA prior to picking up tools to run in wellbore and to pulling out wellbore and laying down tools.
Supervise fishing operations and manage rig controls and risk analyses.
Manage daily operations of precision machining facility that produces components for the medical and aerospace industry.
Manage workflow and oversee strict cleanroom operations, assuring compliance with FDA specifications including labeling and packaging traceability.
Perform many duties including, manual machining, operation of CNC mills, lathes, sinker and wire EDM's.

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.

Tooling manager vs production supervisor skills

Common tooling manager skills

Project Management, 21%
Continuous Improvement, 9%
CNC, 5%
CAD, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 5%
Process Improvement, 5%

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
Tooling Manager
Tooling Manager vs Production Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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