Career comparison
Industrial Maintenance Technician vs. Production Supervisor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Production supervisors earn more at the median ($74,450 vs. $64,520), while industrial maintenance technicians usually get to work faster (1–4 years of training). Industrial maintenance technicians keep factory machinery running with mechanical, electrical and PLC troubleshooting. Production supervisors lead factory teams to hit safety, quality and production goals every shift.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Industrial Maintenance Technician | Production Supervisor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $64,520 ($31.02/hr) | $74,450 ($35.79/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $46,120 – $95,170 | $47,130 – $108,750 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +17.8% (much faster than average) | +1.8% (slower than average) |
| Openings per year | 44,400 | 61,000 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Training time | 1–4 years | 3–5 years of experience |
| Key credential | CMRT (SMRP) | Lean Six Sigma Green Belt |
| Work setting | Technicians work in manufacturing plants, warehouses, food processing facilities and utilities. | Supervisors work on factory floors and in nearby offices. |
What each job does
Industrial Maintenance Technician
- Perform preventive and predictive maintenance on equipment
- Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic problems
- Repair or replace bearings, belts, motors, pumps and gearboxes
- Read schematics, prints and PLC ladder logic
- Align shafts and adjust machinery
Production Supervisor
- Plan staffing and assign work each shift
- Lead start-of-shift huddles
- Monitor output, scrap and downtime
- Enforce safety rules and investigate incidents
- Solve production and quality problems
How they’re similar
Both careers involve problem-solving, indoor work, teamwork, and shift work. Both are part of the mechanics, maintenance & manufacturing field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose industrial maintenance technician if…
- I like figuring out how machines work and why they break
- I’m comfortable with both mechanical and electrical work
- I can stay calm when production is down
Choose production supervisor if…
- I like leading teams
- I stay calm when things break
- I can make quick decisions
Still torn? Take the Industrial Maintenance Technician fit quiz and the Production Supervisor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, industrial maintenance technician or production supervisor?
Production Supervisors earn more at the median: $74,450 versus $64,520 for industrial maintenance technicians, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Industrial Maintenance Technicians typically train faster (1–4 years) than production supervisors (3–5 years of experience).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects industrial maintenance technicians to grow +17.8% from 2025–35, compared with +1.8% for production supervisors.