Management
Industrial Production Managers
Also called: Area Plant Manager, Assembly Manager, General Production Manager, Manufacturing Coordinator
US median pay
$126,060
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+2.6%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
17,000
252,100 employed
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Preparation 4/5 · Considerable preparation
What this job is
Plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and quantity specifications.
What they do day to day
- Set and monitor product standards, examining samples of raw products or directing testing during processing, to ensure finished products are of prescribed quality.
- Direct or coordinate production, processing, distribution, or marketing activities of industrial organizations.
- Review processing schedules or production orders to make decisions concerning inventory requirements, staffing requirements, work procedures, or duty assignments, considering budgetary limitations and time constraints.
- Review operations and confer with technical or administrative staff to resolve production or processing problems.
- Hire, train, evaluate, or discharge staff or resolve personnel grievances.
- Develop or implement production tracking or quality control systems, analyzing production, quality control, maintenance, or other operational reports to detect production problems.
- Prepare and maintain production reports or personnel records.
- Review plans and confer with research or support staff to develop new products or processes.
- Develop budgets or approve expenditures for supplies, materials, or human resources, ensuring that materials, labor, or equipment are used efficiently to meet production targets.
- Maintain current knowledge of the quality control field, relying on current literature pertaining to materials use, technological advances, or statistical studies.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0/5
- Coordination4.0/5
- Time Management3.9/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.9/5
- Systems Analysis3.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.6/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.5/5
- Systems Evaluation3.4/5
Knowledge
- Production and Processing4.4/5
- Administration and Management4.1/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.6/5
- Education and Training3.4/5
- Mathematics3.4/5
- Personnel and Human Resources3.4/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 4 of 5 — Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma29%
- Bachelor's degree26%
- Post-secondary certificate16%
Who this job suits
Mostly Enterprising
Leading, persuading and starting things
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.