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The differences between manufacturing quality managers and production managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a manufacturing quality manager, becoming a production manager takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a manufacturing quality manager has an average salary of $121,115, which is higher than the $78,064 average annual salary of a production manager.
The top three skills for a manufacturing quality manager include continuous improvement, lean manufacturing and ISO. The most important skills for a production manager are continuous improvement, customer service, and quality standards.
| Manufacturing Quality Manager | Production Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $121,115 | $78,064 |
| Hourly rate | $58.23 | $37.53 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 88,190 | 95,561 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 48 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A manufacturing quality manager ensures the manufacturing processes and products meet minimum standards of quality. In this position, they are required to ensure a certain level of quality is met, understand customer needs and requirements, develop quality control processes that meet the requirements provided, review specifications for products and processes, inspect final products to ensure they comply with legal standards, and set requirements for raw materials from suppliers.
Production managers work in show business, whether in film, television shows, or theatre productions. They oversee the whole production and ensure that all agreements are met. They manage finances and budget allocation. They oversee the design of costumes and sets. They also manage the timeline of filming and ensure that the production or filming will finish within the agreed timeline. Production managers also ensure that all stakeholders are satisfied. They build meaningful working relationships with everyone involved, from directors to actors to crew members. They try to mitigate any potential challenges in the production budget and schedule.
Manufacturing quality managers and production managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Quality Manager | Production Manager | |
| Average salary | $121,115 | $78,064 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $178,000 | Between $50,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Apple | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing quality manager and a production manager in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Quality Manager | Production Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing quality managers' and production managers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Quality Manager | Production Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% | Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 9.2% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |