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Industrial Production Manager

Overview and Key Facts

female engineer in hard hat with laptop
Education
Education
Bachelor's degree
Median Pay
Median Pay
$121,440
Job Growth
Job Growth
1.90%
(Below US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
246,500

What Do They Do?

An industrial production manager could...

 
autonomous mobile robot
Devleop a quality control program to identify issues with the production of electrical components used in autonomous mobile robots.
reese's pumpikins chocolate halloween candy
Ensure the production process of Reese's Pumpkins stays on time to deliver chocolate treats to stores before Halloween.
multi-colored lego bricks
Make sure any variations during production are fixed so every Lego® Brick that is made fits perfectly with other Lego® Bricks.
football helmet
Communicate with sales team to determine amount of football helmets your team needs to produce in one month.
 
autonomous mobile robot reese's pumpikins chocolate halloween candy multi-colored lego bricks football helmet

Overview Listen to this section

An industrial production manager is like the leader of a team that makes things in a factory. They plan and organize how things will be made, make sure everyone knows what to do, and check that everything is working correctly. They also make sure the things being made are good quality and safe. If there are any problems, they figure out how to fix them so that production can keep going smoothly. It's a bit like being the captain of a sports team, but instead of playing games, they help make products that people use every day!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiPbRluXk1o

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of an Industrial Production Manager?


  1. Coordination: ?
  2. Judgment and Decision Making: ?
  3. Monitoring: ?
  4. Speaking: ?
  5. Critical Thinking: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks an Industrial Production Manager might do:
  • 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.
  • Hire, train, evaluate, or discharge staff or resolve personnel grievances.
  • Review operations and confer with technical or administrative staff to resolve production or processing problems.
  • 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.
  • Coordinate or recommend procedures for facility or equipment maintenance or modification, including the replacement of machines.
  • Initiate or coordinate inventory or cost control programs.
  • Conduct site audits to ensure adherence to safety and environmental regulations.
  • Develop or enforce procedures for normal operation of manufacturing systems.
  • Implement operational and emergency procedures.
  • Maintain records to demonstrate compliance with safety and environmental laws, regulations, or policies.
  • Monitor permit requirements for updates.
  • Optimize operational costs and productivity consistent with safety and environmental rules and regulations.
  • Prepare reports on operations and system productivity or efficiency.
  • Supervise subordinate employees.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

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Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Industrial Production Manager Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Industrial Production Manager jobs (1.90%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming an Industrial Production Manager

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

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 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.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Bachelor's degree ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

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.

Companies That Hire Industrial Production Managers

  • onsemi
  • Apple
  • Oracle
  • Amazon
  • Northrop Grumman

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Nature of the Work

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 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.

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.

More Information

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