What They Do
Industrial production managers oversee the operations of manufacturing and related plants. They coordinate, plan, and direct activities involved in creating a range of goods, such as cars, computer equipment, and paper products.
Duties
Industrial production managers typically do the following:
- Decide how best to use a plant’s workers and equipment to meet production goals
- Ensure that production stays on schedule and within budget
- Communicate with sales staff, customers, and suppliers
- Hire, train, and evaluate workers
- Analyze production data
- Review production reports
- Monitor a plant’s workers and programs to ensure they meet performance and safety requirements
- Streamline the production process
- Assess whether production needs, such as for equipment upgrades or overtime work, are within budget
- Lead staff in resolving problems or improving production
Industrial production managers, also called plant managers, may oversee an entire manufacturing plant or a specific area of production.
Some industrial production managers are responsible for carrying out quality control programs to make sure the finished product meets standards for quality. Often called quality control systems managers, their work helps to identify a defect in products, identify the cause of the defect, and solve the problem that created it. For example, a manager may determine that a defect is being caused by parts from an outside supplier. The manager can then work with the supplier to improve the quality of the parts.
Industrial production managers who oversee an entire plant often work closely with managers from other departments, such as sales, warehousing, and research and design. For example, they might coordinate with a manager for the procurement (buying) department about orders for supplies that the production department needs.
Work Environment
Industrial production managers held about 241,900 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of industrial production managers were as follows:
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 10% |
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 9 |
| Chemical manufacturing | 8 |
| Food manufacturing | 8 |
| Machinery manufacturing | 7 |
Industrial production managers spend some of their time in an office and some of it in the production area. When they are in the production area, they may need to wear protective equipment, such as a helmet, hearing protection, or safety goggles.
Work Schedules
Most industrial production managers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. They may need to be on call to deal with emergencies at any time. Some industrial production managers work night or weekend shifts.
How to Become One
Industrial production managers typically need a bachelor’s degree and several years of related work experience.
Pay
The median annual wage for industrial production managers was $121,440 in May 2024.
Job Outlook
Employment of industrial production managers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Despite limited employment growth, about 17,100 openings for industrial production managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.