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The differences between lean manufacturing 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 lean manufacturing 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 $106,060 average annual salary of a lean manufacturing manager.
The top three skills for a lean manufacturing manager include lean manufacturing, sigma and process improvement. The most important skills for a plant manager are continuous improvement, customer service, and safety program.
| Lean Manufacturing Manager | Plant Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $106,060 | $113,843 |
| Hourly rate | $50.99 | $54.73 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 31,632 | 275,962 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A lean Manufacturing Manager is part of the manufacturing department. They are the one who is responsible for creating the design as well as strategies to improve the operation of the company. They monitor the daily activities of the employees and report them to the Area or division head. They must also ensure that all the job descriptions and responsibilities of the employees are met based on the company's policy. Also, their job includes identifying ways to improve the system operation and setting a future goal for a company.
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.
Lean manufacturing managers and plant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lean Manufacturing Manager | Plant Manager | |
| Average salary | $106,060 | $113,843 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $154,000 | Between $85,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | Winston-Salem, NC | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Accenture | Koch Industries |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a lean manufacturing manager and a plant manager in terms of educational background:
| Lean Manufacturing Manager | Plant Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lean manufacturing managers' and plant managers' demographics:
| Lean Manufacturing Manager | Plant Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6% | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.8% 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 Percentage | 8% | 10% |