It pays to be the boss—supervisory wages in 2009

In 2009, within civilian industries, wages for supervisors in management occupations ranged from an average of $75,485 per year for team leaders to an average of $208,510 per year for third-line supervisors.

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Team leaders of engineers averaged $106,833 per year in 2009, while first-line supervisors averaged $117,756, second-line supervisors averaged $131,074, and third-line supervisors averaged $160,554.

The National Compensation Survey classifies supervisors according to their level of supervisory responsibility, regardless of titles. Team leaders, or lead workers, have the authority to make, coordinate, and review work assignments of employees performing the same general work as the lead worker on a day-to-day basis. First-line supervisors direct their staff through face-to-face meetings and are responsible for conducting the employees’ performance appraisals. Second-line supervisors direct the actions of staff through intermediate supervisors. Third-line supervisors direct the actions of staff through multiple subordinate levels of supervision.

Civilian workers are defined as the sum of all private industry and State and local government workers. Federal Government, military and agricultural workers are excluded.

These data are from the National Compensation Survey program. To learn more, see "It Pays to be the Boss—Supervisory Wages in the National Compensation Survey, 2009" in the January 2011 issue of Compensation and Working Conditions Online.