Industrial Production Manager Salary and Career Path

Production managers ensure that the right resources are in the right place to get the job done. The title of production manager can mean slightly different things across various industries, but generally production managers are responsible for keeping things running smoothly. In business and manufacturing, these professionals are called industrial production managers. Becoming one is an exciting way to make an impact on a large scale, as these professionals manage the operations of factories and plants that produce goods.

Industrial production managers can earn a bachelor’s degree in a field such as manufacturing or business administration and pair it with in-the-field experience to develop the skills to tackle these responsibilities with confidence.

What Does an Industrial Production Manager Do?

What does it really mean to make sure that production stays on track? An industrial production manager breaks that big goal down into a set of responsibilities, and then focuses on each one to make sure that the factory produces quality goods on time. The product can be anything, such as household appliances, cars, clothing, or furniture and home goods. It can be big, small, low tech, or high tech — no matter what, a production manager oversees operations to keep production on track. Because this work is crucial, an industrial production manager’s salary can be competitive.

Industrial Production Manager Responsibilities

Industrial production managers work with other management professionals to understand the company’s manufacturing needs, vendors who supply the necessary resources, and the production team that carries out the plan. Industrial production managers commonly do the following:

Oversee equipment and technology. Establish relationships with equipment vendors, understand what each machine does, and can technically handle them.
Plan production schedules. Identify manufacturing goals, acquire resources, and align team members to provide what needs to happen when.
Improve efficiency over time. Analyze production to determine ways to do things faster and more easily.
Ensure quality standards. Know standards set by management, take steps to produce high quality goods, and run a quality assurance process.
Comply with regulations: Ensure that the factory or plant is in compliance with state, federal, and/or industry regulations to protect the company, workers, and consumers.

Work Environments for Industrial Production Managers

Regardless of the goods being produced, an industrial production manager’s basic responsibilities usually look similar. However, the industries and environments these professionals tend to work in vary widely, ranging from traditional factories to high-tech plants to laboratories. Industries with consistent manufacturing needs include the following:

Transportation: Manufacturing the parts of cars, trains, buses, airplanes, and more
Retail: Manufacturing clothing, fabrics, jewelry, furniture, and more
Technology: Manufacturing electronics and their parts, such as microchips
Chemical: Manufacturing chemicals that go into other products, such as solvents for paint or pesticides for agricultural use
Food: Manufacturing packaging for ingredients used in cooking and food preparation as well as prepackaged snacks and meals
Pharmaceutical: Manufacturing medicine in different forms, such as capsules or liquids
Environmental: Focusing on a manufacturing process that uses eco-friendly, sustainable materials

Industrial Production Manager Salary and Job Outlook

The median annual production manager salary was $116,970 as of May 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS projects that positions will grow at a rate of 2% between 2022 and 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Many job openings for this type of role are expected to come from retirees in the coming years.

How to Become a Industrial Production Manager

While there’s no single path to becoming an industrial production manager, nearly all companies filling these positions require a bachelor’s degree. The following steps can help lead to a career in production management:

Complete education. Earn a bachelor’s degree in a field such as business administration or manufacturing to develop business knowledge and skills such as project management, business ethics, and leadership.
Get in-the-field experience. Work in a factory on the production team or in a related role for a couple of years, learning from the production manager and seeing how a factory functions.
Complete technical certifications. Though not always required, further development can strengthen a potential production manager’s professional profile when seeking roles. Industrial production managers often pursue certifications in areas including organizational excellence, quality improvement, and various Six Sigma management techniques.

Launch a Career as an Industrial Production Manager With an Online Business Administration Degree

Industrial production managers carry out an essential function for both businesses and consumers, ensuring that the goods we use every day are produced consistently and with high standards.

If you’re ready to apply your natural organizational and people skills to a rewarding career, consider an education that can prepare you to succeed. North Carolina Central University’s online Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree completion program focuses on the fundamentals of business strategy and skill development in communication and management, so graduates are ready to launch a business career with the potential to earn a strong industrial production manager salary.

Find out how NCCU’s online BBA can open up a world of possible careers.

Recommended Readings

What Is a BBA Degree?

Supply Chain Manager Salary and Job Description

How the Top Tech Companies in North Carolina Are Driving Industry Growth

Sources

American Society for Quality, Certification Catalog

Handshake, Top 10 Manufacturing Jobs and Who’s Hiring

Indeed, How to Become an Industrial Production Manager

Indeed, Learn About Being a Production Manager

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Industrial Production Managers

YouTube, “Industrial Production Manager Career Video”