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The differences between plant managers and managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a plant manager and a manager. Additionally, a plant manager has an average salary of $113,843, which is higher than the $58,651 average annual salary of a manager.
The top three skills for a plant manager include continuous improvement, customer service and safety program. The most important skills for a manager are customer service, payroll, and food safety.
| Plant Manager | Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $113,843 | $58,651 |
| Hourly rate | $54.73 | $28.20 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 275,962 | 1,236,194 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.57 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department. Managers are responsible that the department they are handling is functioning well. They set the department goals and the steps they must take to achieve the goals. They are also in charge of assessing the performance of their departments and their employees. Additionally, managers are responsible for interviewing prospective candidates for department vacancies and assessing their fit to the needs of the department. Managers also set the general working environment in the department, and they are expected to ensure that their employees remain motivated.
Plant managers and managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Manager | Manager | |
| Average salary | $113,843 | $58,651 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $152,000 | Between $37,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | - |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a plant manager and a manager in terms of educational background:
| Plant Manager | Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between plant managers' and managers' demographics:
| Plant Manager | Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 51.0% Female, 49.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 10% | 10% |