Team Leader Hourly Pay, Skills & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 63,827 US job postings by 2,346 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for team leaders: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 63,827 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for team leaders in US job postings is $18.00 an hour (8,459 postings from 591 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $16.12 to $20.50 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $19.00 an hour (3,132 postings).
- The skills that most set team leader postings apart are customer service, cash handling, leadership.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 1 year of experience.
Team Leader job postings in the US, October 2026
- $18.00/hr
- Median advertised pay (8,459 postings)
- $16.12–$20.50
- Middle 50% of postings
- $19.00/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 63,827
- US job postings from 2,346 employers
How much does a team leader make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $18.00 an hour, from 8,459 US job postings by 591 employers that state pay. That is about $38,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 8,459 US team leader job postings: median $38,000 a year ($18.00 an hour), middle half $34,000 to $45,000.
- Median: $38,000 ($18.00/hr)
- 25th percentile: $34,000
- 75th percentile: $45,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $10K–$20K | 0.1% |
| $20K–$30K | 8.7% |
| $30K–$40K | 47.3% |
| $40K–$50K | 28.3% |
| $50K–$60K | 8.5% |
| $60K–$70K | 1.3% |
| $70K–$80K | 1.2% |
| $80K–$90K | 1.2% |
| $90K–$100K | 0.9% |
| $100K–$110K | 0.6% |
| $110K–$120K | 0.2% |
| $120K–$130K | 0.2% |
| $130K–$140K | 0.5% |
| $140K–$150K | 0.3% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | Most common titles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $18.00 | $16.12–$20.50 | 2,617 | Shift Leader, Shift Supervisor, Shift Manager |
| Postings that state an annual salary | $62,000 | $50K–$98K | 281 | Shift Supervisor, Sales Lead, Shift Manager |
| All pay postings, annualised | $38,000 | $34K–$45K | 8,459 | – |
What is the starting salary for a team leader?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $19.00 an hour (3,132 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $19.00/hr | 3,132 |
| 2-4 years | $21.50/hr | 1,091 |
| 5+ years | withheld | 55 |
Team leader levels and pay
Levels as they appear in job titles, ordered by the median experience asked.
| Level in title | Share of postings | Median experience asked | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| No level in title | 93.7% | 1 year | $18.25/hr |
| Lead | 6.3% | 2 years | $20.00/hr |
Highest-paying team leader jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team Leader (general) | $19.00/hr | 760 | 90 |
| Shift Leader | $18.00/hr | 6,523 | 402 |
Team leader pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $21.50/hr | $20.12–$24.00 | 942 | 10.0% |
| Washington | $20.39/hr | $18.88–$21.97 | 124 | 1.8% |
| New York | $20.00/hr | $18.00–$23.00 | 711 | 5.5% |
| Colorado | $19.38/hr | $17.75–$20.86 | 385 | 2.1% |
| New Jersey | $19.04/hr | $17.56–$20.00 | 199 | 1.9% |
| Maryland | $19.00/hr | $17.82–$22.43 | 186 | 1.8% |
| Massachusetts | $19.00/hr | $18.00–$22.00 | 197 | 1.2% |
| Illinois | $18.50/hr | $17.50–$21.25 | 463 | 4.3% |
| Virginia | $18.50/hr | $17.00–$20.25 | 174 | 2.2% |
| Minnesota | $18.50/hr | $16.25–$20.50 | 259 | 1.7% |
| Arizona | $18.45/hr | $17.70–$20.25 | 124 | 7.3% |
| Florida | $18.00/hr | $17.50–$19.00 | 179 | 4.6% |
| Georgia | $18.00/hr | $16.00–$18.50 | 112 | 3.4% |
| Pennsylvania | $18.00/hr | $16.00–$19.94 | 231 | 3.1% |
| Wisconsin | $17.75/hr | $15.56–$19.00 | 263 | 2.0% |
| Texas | $17.00/hr | $16.00–$18.50 | 396 | 9.4% |
| Ohio | $17.00/hr | $15.00–$18.50 | 318 | 4.1% |
| Indiana | $17.00/hr | $16.00–$18.50 | 173 | 2.5% |
| Michigan | $16.50/hr | $16.00–$18.50 | 282 | 2.6% |
| North Carolina | $16.00/hr | $14.25–$18.50 | 170 | 3.3% |
Skills employers ask for in team leader job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 27% |
| Customer service | 22% |
| Leadership | 14% |
| Problem-solving | 14% |
| Positive attitude | 11% |
| Organizational skills | 10% |
| Interpersonal skills | 9% |
| Attention to detail | 7% |
| Teamwork | 6% |
| Dependable | 6% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set team leaders apart
- Cash handling17.5× as often as in all postings · 5%
- Positive attitude3.1× as often as in all postings · 11%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a team leader job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a team leader do?
Employers post these jobs as Shift Leader, Shift Supervisor, Shift Manager, Shift Lead, Team Lead and other titles. The largest specializations are Shift Leader (84%), Crew Leader (1%), Group Leader (under 1%), Lead (0%).
How much experience do you need to be a team leader?
Among 3,125 postings that state a minimum, the median is 1 year. Under 1% say 0 years and 66% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 3,125 US team leader job postings: median 1 year, and 66% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 13% |
| 1 yr | 53% |
| 2 yrs | 21% |
| 3-4 yrs | 9% |
| 5-7 yrs | 3% |
| 8-9 yrs | under 1% |
| 10+ yrs | under 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 75%, Part-time 25% of the 886 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a team leader: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Shift Leader | 544 (23.2%) |
| Shift Supervisor | 500 (21.3%) |
| Shift Manager | 415 (17.7%) |
| Shift Lead | 190 (8.1%) |
| Team Lead | 156 (6.7%) |
| Team Leader | 152 (6.5%) |
| Sales Lead | 120 (5.1%) |
| Crew Leader | 67 (2.9%) |
| Team Supervisor | 50 (2.1%) |
| Restaurant Shift Leader | 42 (1.8%) |
| Shift Coordinator | 35 (1.5%) |
| Crew Chief | 21 (0.9%) |
| Shift Leaders | 20 (0.9%) |
| Restaurant Shift Manager | 18 (0.8%) |
| Restaurant Shift Lead | 17 (0.7%) |
| Floor Lead | 16 (0.7%) |
| Crew Lead | 14 (0.6%) |
| Restaurant Shift Supervisor | 13 (0.5%) |
| KFC Shift Supervisor | 13 (0.5%) |
| 2nd Shift Supervisor | 12 (0.5%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Team leader job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shift Lead | 8,726 | 190 | $18.00/hr | – | communication, basic business math, provide direction |
| Shift Leader | 11,111 | 544 | $17.50/hr | 1 year | positive attitude, communication, problem-solving |
| Team Lead | 1,595 | 156 | – | – | customer service, communication, interpersonal skills |
| Shift Manager | 13,168 | 415 | $17.00/hr | 1 year | communication, customer service, leadership |
| Shift Supervisor | 17,365 | 500 | $20.50/hr | 1 year | customer service, communication, interpersonal skills |
Team Leader compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Leader | $18.00/hr | 1 year | 63,827 | – |
| Restaurant Manager | $57K | 2 years | 27,316 | 17 |
| General Manager | $70K | 3 years | 29,416 | 15 |
| Store Manager | $20.12/hr | 2 years | 61,047 | 18 |
| Cashier | $16.50/hr | 1 year | 36,744 | 17 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant Manager | 17 | $57K |
| General Manager | 15 | $70K |
| Store Manager | 18 | $20.12/hr |
| Cashier | 17 | $16.50/hr |
| Restaurant Team Member | 8 | $15.92/hr |
| Bartender | 18 | $16.85/hr |
Applying for team leader jobs?
- Team leader resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find team leader jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Shift Lead make?
How much does a Shift Leader make?
How much does a Shift Manager make?
How much does a Shift Supervisor make?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 34 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 33 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.