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The differences between manufacturing leaders 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 leader, 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 $89,761 average annual salary of a manufacturing leader.
The top three skills for a manufacturing leader include lean manufacturing, continuous improvement and GMP. The most important skills for a plant manager are continuous improvement, customer service, and safety program.
| Manufacturing Leader | Plant Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $89,761 | $113,843 |
| Hourly rate | $43.15 | $54.73 |
| Growth rate | - | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 87,299 | 275,962 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A manufacturing leader or production leader is someone who takes charge of the manufacturer's production process. Manufacturing leaders plan, organize, and establish a recommendation for manufacturing strategies. They make sure that products are successfully developed based on the specifications. They supervise the teams working in product development and operations. It is part of their job to ensure great production management. They study successes and failures and emphasize growth. Also, they inspire and engage staff at every level of the manufacturing process.
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 leaders and plant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Leader | Plant Manager | |
| Average salary | $89,761 | $113,843 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $126,000 | Between $85,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | Koch Industries |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing leader and a plant manager in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Leader | Plant Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between manufacturing leaders' and plant managers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Leader | Plant Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 4.5% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 6% | 10% |