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What is an assistant production manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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Your main responsibility as the assistant production manager is to ensure that the production process in your organization is thoroughly planned out and executed. In this position, you will report to the production manager, provide them with administrative support, and keep them in the loop on the status of ongoing projects.

As the assistant production manager, you will monitor production finances and workers to various parts of the production site. You will also inspect production quality and ensure the availability of raw material and equipment. Your responsibilities extend to you providing approximate costs of material, equipment, and human resources.

As the assistant production manager, you need to be highly organized and have strong critical thinking skills that you will apply to solve any production problems at your site. You need to have extensive knowledge of the procurement of equipment and raw material and have the skillset to ensure that this is done in a cost-effective manner. You will require strong computer literacy as this will come in handy in the maintenance of production records.

To venture into a career in production, you will need to have attained a bachelor's degree in business management and have undertaken courses related to production management.

ScoreAssistant Production ManagerUS Average
Salary
4.7

Avg. Salary $60,730

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
8.1

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.71%

Asian 5.14%

Black or African American 11.86%

Hispanic or Latino 17.40%

Unknown 4.16%

White 60.73%

Gender

female 34.42%

male 65.58%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress Level
8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
7.1

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
3.3

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Assistant Production Manager career paths

Key steps to become an assistant production manager

  1. Explore assistant production manager education requirements

    Most common assistant production manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    61.7 %

    Associate

    18.0 %

    High School Diploma

    8.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific assistant production manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    OSHA8.23%
    Production Schedules7.17%
    Safety Procedures6.94%
    ISO5.77%
    Production Process5.15%
  3. Complete relevant assistant production manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant production managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an assistant production manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant production manager resumes.
  4. Gain additional assistant production manager certifications

    Assistant production manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific assistant production manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for assistant production managers include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Manager Certification (CM).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research assistant production manager duties and responsibilities

    • Manage welding and CNC machinery operations.
    • Lead targeted decision-making across fast-pace production operations for this growth-orient USDA food factory producing quality meat products.
    • Establish first compute environment standards for production Unix platforms.
    • Serve as client liaison communicating project status and SLA requirements.
  6. Prepare your assistant production manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant production manager resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an assistant production manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Assistant Production Manager Resume templates

    Build a professional Assistant Production Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Assistant Production Manager resume.
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
    Assistant Production Manager Resume
  7. Apply for assistant production manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an assistant production manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Assistant Production Manager Job

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Average assistant production manager salary

The average Assistant Production Manager salary in the United States is $60,730 per year or $29 per hour. Assistant production manager salaries range between $39,000 and $93,000 per year.

Average Assistant Production Manager Salary
$60,730 Yearly
$29.20 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do assistant production managers rate their job?

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Assistant Production Manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2022
Pros

Being able to create a work environment where people flourish, come together, build good relationships form positive teamwork, watching work flow smoothly, reaching or exceeding goals, and be accountable. 2. An opportunity to learn shop floor activities technically and also to develop managerial skills.

Cons

When my children were young and still in school, I didn't like not having a work-life balance to be with the family. But now my family is grown up with there own families.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

I like getting to know the company's operation and running numbers to see what opportunities there are for improvement.

Cons

I don't dislike anything about supervising, however the most difficult part of this position for me was managing people. This is a challenge when turnover rates are high.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

Helping people on the production line and being able to move around.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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