About one in five workers have supervisory role

Research indicates that approximately 1 in 5 full-time workers has some level of supervisory responsibility. About 9 percent are team leaders, 10 percent are first-line supervisors, 2 percent are second-line managers and fewer than 1 percent are third-line executives.

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The share of workers that have supervisory duties is not appreciably different between private industry and State and local governments. Within more specific industry divisions, the industries with the highest percentage of supervisors are construction, public administration, and finance, insurance and real estate.

These data are a product of the National Compensation Survey. Team leaders or lead workers set the pace for other workers and show other workers how to perform assigned tasks. Firstline supervisors direct staff through face-to-face meetings. Second line managers direct staff through intermediate supervisors. Third line managers direct work through two or more supervisory levels with several subdivisions at each level. Find out more in James Smith, "Supervisory Duties and the National Compensation Survey" (PDF 92K), Compensation and Working Conditions, Spring 2000.