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The differences between manufacturing directors 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 manufacturing director, becoming a plant manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a manufacturing director has an average salary of $147,277, which is higher than the $113,843 average annual salary of a plant manager.
The top three skills for a manufacturing director include continuous improvement, supply chain and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a plant manager are continuous improvement, customer service, and safety program.
| Manufacturing Director | Plant Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $147,277 | $113,843 |
| Hourly rate | $70.81 | $54.73 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 42,235 | 275,962 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A manufacturing director is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing a company's manufacturing procedures. Their responsibilities revolve around setting goals and objectives, coordinating and managing different departments, planning budgets, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing processes, implementing solutions, and developing strategies to optimize manufacturing operations. Furthermore, as a manufacturing director, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.
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.
Manufacturing directors and plant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Director | Plant Manager | |
| Average salary | $147,277 | $113,843 |
| Salary range | Between $100,000 And $214,000 | Between $85,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Nationwide Children's Hospital | Koch Industries |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing director and a plant manager in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Director | Plant Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between manufacturing directors' and plant managers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Director | Plant Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1% | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 69.9% 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 Percentage | 8% | 10% |