Career comparison
Maintenance Supervisor vs. Production Supervisor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Maintenance supervisors earn more at the median ($79,860 vs. $74,450), while production supervisors usually get to work faster (3–5 years of experience of training). Maintenance supervisors lead the mechanics and technicians who keep equipment running. 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
| Maintenance Supervisor | Production Supervisor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $79,860 ($38.39/hr) | $74,450 ($35.79/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $49,600 – $126,790 | $47,130 – $108,750 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +4.1% (about as fast as average) | +1.8% (slower than average) |
| Openings per year | 48,900 | 61,000 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Training time | Several years of hands-on experience | 3–5 years of experience |
| Key credential | CMRP | Lean Six Sigma Green Belt |
| Work setting | Supervisors work in plants, shops, fleet garages and facilities.. | Supervisors work on factory floors and in nearby offices. |
What each job does
Maintenance Supervisor
- Assign work orders
- Plan preventive maintenance
- Supervise technicians
- Order parts
- Troubleshoot complex problems
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 working with people, high responsibility, problem-solving, and teamwork. Both are part of the mechanics, maintenance & manufacturing field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose maintenance supervisor if…
- I’m a skilled technician
- I like leading crews
- I solve tough problems
Choose production supervisor if…
- I like leading teams
- I stay calm when things break
- I can make quick decisions
Still torn? Take the Maintenance Supervisor fit quiz and the Production Supervisor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, maintenance supervisor or production supervisor?
Maintenance Supervisors earn more at the median: $79,860 versus $74,450 for production supervisors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Production Supervisors typically train faster (3–5 years of experience) than maintenance supervisors (Several years of hands-on experience).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects maintenance supervisors to grow +4.1% from 2025–35, compared with +1.8% for production supervisors.