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The differences between unit managers and supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a unit manager, becoming a supervisor takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a unit manager has an average salary of $60,561, which is higher than the $53,902 average annual salary of a supervisor.
The top three skills for a unit manager include quality care, patients and federal regulations. The most important skills for a supervisor are customer service, safety procedures, and sales floor.
| Unit Manager | Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $60,561 | $53,902 |
| Hourly rate | $29.12 | $25.91 |
| Growth rate | 6% | - |
| Number of jobs | 366,932 | 224,920 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Unit managers are responsible for managing the nursing unit. They primarily supervise the daily care of patients and ensure quality patient care. Usually, they perform tasks like evaluating staff performance, conducting orientation for new staff, and training new members. Also, they manage schedules, minimize expenditures, and enforce health as well as safety regulations. Unit managers are registered nursing professionals with an undergraduate or graduate degree. They are honest, adaptable, and analytical professionals with strong management and leadership skills and relevant experience in nursing and patient assessment.
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.
Unit managers and supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Manager | Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $60,561 | $53,902 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $96,000 | Between $31,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Reed Smith |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a unit manager and a supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Unit Manager | Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between unit managers' and supervisors' demographics:
| Unit Manager | Supervisor | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.4% Female, 57.6% | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 6% |