How long does it take to become a Team Leader?

It takes 3 years of professional experience to become a team leader. That is the time it takes to learn specific team leader skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 6 to 8 years years to become a team leader.

How do you get a team lead position?

To get a team lead position, you will need experience working in a leadership role. The good news is that it's not necessary to have a college degree to become a team leader. This means most of the skills needed to become a team leader come from experience because much of a team leader's role is to provide guidance, instruction, direction, and leadership to their team and the company.

What are a team leader's responsibilities?

A team leader's responsibilities are to delegate tasks, develop timelines, and regularly take responsibility for the team's progress. A team leader usually motivates and inspires their team by creating an environment that promotes communication, team building, and flexibility.

What are the 5 qualities of a team leader?

The five qualities of a team leader are: Delegation skills Active listening Leading by example Giving honest and frequent feedback Ensuring accountability.

Why do you want to be a team leader?

To answer, "Why do you want to be a team leader?" focus on how you are ready to take on more responsibility. The interviewer will want to fully understand your intentions for wanting this kind of position. You must answer well and honestly.

Team Lead vs. Manager

A team lead guides their team members to reach certain goals within the organization, while a manager supervises or oversees a team. A team lead often works in a role that is similar to their team members although they have additional leadership duties. Their job is to understand the day-to-day tasks and struggles of their team and provide them with guidance and motivation.

How To Become A Team Leader: What It Is and Career Path

What is a team leader and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A team leader is responsible for managing a group of individuals working to achieve a common goal. They organize and delegate tasks and motivate team members. Team leaders must communicate effectively with their team to provide feedback, resolve conflicts, and address concerns. They aim to lead by example, demonstrate excellent time management skills, and maintain a positive attitude. Overall, a team leader fosters collaboration and drives success within a team.

ScoreTeam LeaderUS Average

Salary

5.4

Avg. Salary $68,817

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.4

Growth Rate 8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 7.18%

Black or African American 8.87%

Hispanic or Latino 17.01%

Unknown 4.67%

White 61.61%

Gender

female 45.00%

male 55.00%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress Level

9.4

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

5.2

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.6

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Team Leader?

Pros

Increased visibility within the company
Opportunity to mentor and develop team members
Greater sense of achievement when team goals are met
Increased autonomy and decision-making power
Higher salary and benefits package

Cons

High levels of responsibility and accountability
Risk of burnout due to workload and stress
Difficult conversations with underperforming team members
Need to navigate office politics and personalities
Risk of micromanaging or overbearing leadership style

Key steps to become a team leader

Explore team leader education requirements

Most common team leader degrees

Bachelor's

49.9 %

Associate

16.9 %

High School Diploma

16.5 %

Start to develop specific team leader skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	26.45%
Ladders	8.91%
Patients	6.17%
Sales Floor	6.01%
PET	4.94%

Complete relevant team leader training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New team leaders learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a team leader based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real team leader resumes.

Gain additional team leader certifications

Team leader certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific team leader certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for team leaders include Food Safety Manager Certification and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).

More About Certifications

Research team leader duties and responsibilities

Manage ACD metrics and methodology, including reporting to Sr. Management.
Set the highest standards for achieving company s KPIs, and holding staff individually accountable thereof.
Lead and conduct daily port operations for all DOD cargo transiting through the state of Florida.
Manage inventory and stock groceries, clothes and office supplies, handle supplies requests, revise logbook.

Get team leader experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a team leader. The most common roles before becoming a team leader include cashier, customer service representative team lead and sales associate.

Prepare your team leader resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your team leader resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a team leader resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Team Leader Resume templates

Build a professional Team Leader resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Team Leader resume.

Apply for team leader jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a team leader job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do team leaders rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Team Leader reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

Team work , layout understand ing, and clients conversations skills

Cons

On site rudly behavior

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

Meting with targets. getting paid more then team mates. Doing parties as a team. fixing the issues of guies.

Cons

less offs and getting familiar with new team mates often. I do not like much stress also some time.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020

Pros

A great leader, leads by example. Leading organization with team effort, to learn and grow.

Cons

No effort in team work, disorganized, no leadership.

What is a team leader and how to become one

What are the pros and cons of being a Team Leader?

Team Leader career paths

Key steps to become a team leader

Explore team leader education requirements

Most common team leader degrees

Start to develop specific team leader skills

Complete relevant team leader training and internships

Gain additional team leader certifications

Research team leader duties and responsibilities

Get team leader experience

Prepare your team leader resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Team Leader Resume templates

Apply for team leader jobs

How Did You Land Your First Team Leader Job

Average team leader salary

How do team leaders rate their job?

Team Leader reviews

Team Leader FAQs

How long does it take to become a Team Leader?

How do you get a team lead position?

What are a team leader's responsibilities?

What are the 5 qualities of a team leader?

Why do you want to be a team leader?

Team Lead vs. Manager

Search for team leader jobs

Team Leader jobs by state