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The differences between plant managers and manufacturing 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 plant manager, becoming a manufacturing manager takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a plant manager has an average salary of $113,843, which is higher than the $101,712 average annual salary of a manufacturing manager.
The top three skills for a plant manager include continuous improvement, customer service and safety program. The most important skills for a manufacturing manager are continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and production schedules.
| Plant Manager | Manufacturing Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $113,843 | $101,712 |
| Hourly rate | $54.73 | $48.90 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 275,962 | 40,395 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
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.
Plant managers and manufacturing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Manager | Manufacturing Manager | |
| Average salary | $113,843 | $101,712 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $152,000 | Between $71,000 And $145,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | Bain & Company |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Retail |
There are a few differences between a plant manager and a manufacturing manager in terms of educational background:
| Plant Manager | Manufacturing Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between plant managers' and manufacturing managers' demographics:
| Plant Manager | Manufacturing Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| 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, 3.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 9.2% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 8% |