Education:
29%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
26%
Bachelor's Degree
Industrial Production Manager
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Job Outlook:
As fast as average
Education:
Bachelor's degree
Salary
High:
$178,470.00
Average:
$120,900.00
Hourly
Average:
$58.13
What they do:
Plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and quantity specifications.
On the job, you would:
- 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.
Important Qualities
Business skills. Industrial production managers handle budgets for production facilities, hire and manage staff, and coordinate work between different departments.
Interpersonal skills. Industrial production managers must have excellent communication skills to work well other managers and with staff. Some industrial production managers oversee customer relationships.
Leadership skills. To keep the production process running smoothly, industrial production managers must motivate and direct employees.
Organizational skills. Industrial production managers must keep track of many details to efficiently manage the operations of a production facility.
Problem-solving skills. Production managers must identify and address problems that arise. For example, if a product has a defect, the manager determines whether it is a one-time problem or the result of the production process.
Personality
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
|---|---|---|---|
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93% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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87% | Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. | |
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87% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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86% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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84% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
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83% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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82% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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82% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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81% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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80% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
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78% | Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. | |
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77% | Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. | |
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77% | Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. | |
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76% | Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. | |
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69% | Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems. | |
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65% | Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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100% | Enterprising - Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law. | |
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83% | Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
|---|---|---|---|
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83% | Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy. | |
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78% | Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. | |
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72% | Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. | |
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67% | Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. | |
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67% | Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status. | |
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67% | Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
Aptitude
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
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75% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. | |
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75% | Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. | |
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75% | Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. | |
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75% | Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem. | |
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75% | Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. | |
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75% | Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). | |
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72% | Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). | |
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69% | Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. | |
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66% | Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Skills | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
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70% | Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
Job Details
Responsibilities
Conduct environmental audits.
Design industrial processing systems.
Direct operational or production activities.
Respond to emergencies to provide assistance.
Maintain regulatory or compliance documentation.
Monitor external affairs or events affecting business operations.
Implement design or process improvements.
Prepare operational reports.
Supervise employees.
Direct sales, marketing, or customer service activities.
Direct organizational operations, projects, or services.
Approve expenditures.
Prepare operational budgets.
Analyze data to inform operational decisions or activities.
Monitor organizational procedures to ensure proper functioning.
Confer with organizational members to accomplish work activities.
Evaluate employee performance.
Conduct employee training programs.
Hire personnel.
Manage control system activities in organizations.
Maintain personnel records.
Prepare operational progress or status reports.
Evaluate quality of materials or products.
Develop operating strategies, plans, or procedures.
Analyze data to inform operational decisions or activities.
Implement organizational process or policy changes.
Develop organizational methods or procedures.
Develop specifications for new products or processes.
Confer with organizational members to accomplish work activities.
Direct facility maintenance or repair activities.
Recommend organizational process or policy changes.
Maintain knowledge of current developments in area of expertise.
Negotiate sales or lease agreements for products or services.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
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97% | Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job? | |
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95% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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92% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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90% | Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? | |
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89% | Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? | |
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89% | Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? | |
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89% | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? | |
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88% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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87% | Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? | |
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87% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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86% | Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? | |
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85% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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82% | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? | |
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80% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
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78% | Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job? | |
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71% | Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)? | |
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69% | Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable? | |
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85% | Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
|---|---|---|---|
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87% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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86% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. | |
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83% | Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. | |
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80% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. | |
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80% | Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. | |
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75% | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. | |
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74% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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72% | Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. | |
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71% | Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. | |
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70% | Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills. | |
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69% | Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. | |
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69% | Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks. | |
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69% | Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members. | |
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68% | Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance. | |
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68% | Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. | |
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67% | Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. | |
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66% | Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. | |
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66% | Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. | |
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66% | Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. | |
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65% | Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. |
What Industrial Production Managers Do
Industrial production managers monitor a plant’s workers to ensure they meet safety standards.
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 222,100 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of industrial production managers were as follows:
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 11% |
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 9 |
| Chemical manufacturing | 9 |
| Food manufacturing | 7 |
| 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.
Getting Started
How to Become an Industrial Production Manager
Industrial production managers need leadership and interpersonal skills to supervise manufacturing employees.
Industrial production managers typically need a bachelor’s degree and several years of related work experience.
Education
Employers typically require or prefer that industrial production managers have a bachelor’s degree. However, some workers qualify for jobs if they have a high school diploma and extensive production experience.
For workers who have a degree, common majors include business and engineering. Some employers prefer to hire industrial production managers who have a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a graduate degree in industrial management.
Work Experience in a Related Occupation
Industrial production managers usually need years of work experience in supervisory or other leadership positions. Some begin as production workers and move up through the ranks.
Industrial production workers usually advance to supervisory or other leadership positions before eventually becoming industrial production managers. Some take company-sponsored management classes to increase their chances of a promotion.
Those with a college degree might begin as a supervisor or lower-level manager. Other college graduates may be hired as an industrial production manager and complete training programs. Some begin working as an industrial production manager directly after college or graduate school. They may spend their first few months in training programs, becoming familiar with the production process, company policies, and safety regulations. In large companies, they may spend short periods of time working in other departments, such as purchasing or accounting, to learn more about the company.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Although they are not required to do so, industrial production managers may earn certifications to demonstrate competency in quality or management systems. The American Society of Quality (ASQ) offers credentials in quality control and various levels of Six Sigma certifications. Because these credentials often require specific work experience, they typically are not available prior to entering the occupation.
Job Outlook
Employment of industrial production managers is projected to grow 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 15,300 openings for industrial production managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many 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.
Employment
Most of these managers are employed in manufacturing industries, some of which are expected to have declining employment due to greater productivity. However, because industrial production managers are responsible for coordinating work activities with the goal of increasing productivity, they will continue to be needed in this capacity.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about quality management and certification, visit
For general information about manufacturing careers, visit
National Association of Manufacturers
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of industrial production managers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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|
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|
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|
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|
Industrial Engineers |
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|
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|
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|
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|
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|
Top Executives |
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