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Facilities manager vs plant manager

The differences between facilities managers and plant managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a facilities manager, becoming a plant manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a plant manager has an average salary of $113,843, which is higher than the $69,850 average annual salary of a facilities manager.

The top three skills for a facilities manager include customer service, facility maintenance and HVAC. The most important skills for a plant manager are continuous improvement, customer service, and safety program.

Facilities manager vs plant manager overview

Facilities ManagerPlant Manager
Yearly salary$69,850$113,843
Hourly rate$33.58$54.73
Growth rate7%6%
Number of jobs13,167275,962
Job satisfaction4.75-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age5044
Years of experience26

What does a facilities manager do?

A Facilities Manager has different responsibilities depending on the line of work or industry. However, most of the time, they specialize in ensuring that the building or work area is in good condition and adheres to its policies and regulations. A facility manager's duties can also involve maintaining the amenities to ensure that they are up to standards, handle budgets, manage the space accommodation, create reports, and offer recommendations when necessary. Furthermore, they supervise the maintenance, parking, and security aspects while coordinating with the personnel in charge.

What does a plant manager do?

In general, plant managers are responsible for the entire operations in a manufacturing plant. Plant managers plan, direct, organize, and run the optimum operations of the plant daily. They create and execute organizational or departmental goals procedures, and policies. They aim to increase the manufacturing production and the capacity and flexibility of its assets while keeping its current quality standards and unnecessary costs. They are expected to have a better understanding of the manufacturing industry like equipment use and mechanical aptitude.

Facilities manager vs plant manager salary

Facilities managers and plant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Facilities ManagerPlant Manager
Average salary$69,850$113,843
Salary rangeBetween $45,000 And $108,000Between $85,000 And $152,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CARichmond, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew Jersey
Best paying companyMetaKoch Industries
Best paying industryTechnologyFinance

Differences between facilities manager and plant manager education

There are a few differences between a facilities manager and a plant manager in terms of educational background:

Facilities ManagerPlant Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Facilities manager vs plant manager demographics

Here are the differences between facilities managers' and plant managers' demographics:

Facilities ManagerPlant Manager
Average age5044
Gender ratioMale, 76.9% Female, 23.1%Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.3% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage5%10%

Differences between facilities manager and plant manager duties and responsibilities

Facilities manager example responsibilities.

  • Plan and manage university sporting events while remaining NCAA compliant.
  • Manage events and operations for all NCAA collegiate home varsity contests and special university functions.
  • Manage special projects, submit RFP's, prepare quotes and contracts in order to drive new business.
  • Manage all EHS programs, training, and associate regulatory requirements for compliance, licensing, and permitting.
  • Manage all life safety services which include fire warden coordination, a and CPR training, and first aid.
  • Manage work order data base and ensure all work request are being complete on time and KPI's are meet.
  • Show more

Plant manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage 65 plant production and five plant supervisors in bilingual union manufacturing HVAC plant.
  • Manage compliance and training for the facility HACCP plan and are awarded PICQS plus status on annual audit.
  • Lead skilled trades in the repair and maintenance of robotics, PLC, hydraulic and electrical switchgear applications.
  • Lead OEE & SMED initiatives to improve machine utilization, up-time, throughput, change-over time, & yield.
  • Manage daily operations of USDA facility.
  • Coordinate monthly safety meetings, provide training and lead internal inspections that foster OSHA awareness.
  • Show more

Facilities manager vs plant manager skills

Common facilities manager skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Facility Maintenance, 6%
  • HVAC, 6%
  • Building Maintenance, 5%
  • Real Estate, 4%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Common plant manager skills
  • Continuous Improvement, 8%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Safety Program, 6%
  • Plant Operations, 6%
  • Lean Manufacturing, 6%
  • OSHA, 5%

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