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The differences between manufacturing managers and assistant plant managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a manufacturing manager and an assistant plant manager. Additionally, a manufacturing manager has an average salary of $101,712, which is higher than the $85,755 average annual salary of an assistant plant manager.
The top three skills for a manufacturing manager include continuous improvement, lean manufacturing and production schedules. The most important skills for an assistant plant manager are safety program, OSHA, and plant operations.
| Manufacturing Manager | Assistant Plant Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $101,712 | $85,755 |
| Hourly rate | $48.90 | $41.23 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 40,395 | 20,560 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A manufacturing manager is an individual who manages the day-to-day operations of the organization's production process to ensure that all workers and departments meet the organization's productivity and efficiency standards. Manufacturing managers work under a department head and assist them in planning and directing an efficient equipment layout and material flow. They implement quality control programs that ensure finished products are in par with a certain standard. They also train manufacturing workers and monitor them to ensure that they meet performance and safety requirements.
An assistant plant manager is in charge of overseeing plant operations, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities revolve around managing the daily plant operations, assessing the workforce performance, and performing administrative support tasks such as producing progress reports and presentations, managing budgets and schedules, answering inquiries, and handling calls and correspondence. Furthermore, as an assistant plant manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Manufacturing managers and assistant plant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Manager | Assistant Plant Manager | |
| Average salary | $101,712 | $85,755 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $145,000 | Between $58,000 And $126,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Bain & Company | Cirrus Aircraft |
| Best paying industry | Retail | - |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing manager and an assistant plant manager in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Manager | Assistant Plant Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing managers' and assistant plant managers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Manager | Assistant Plant Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 9.2% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |