Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between plant managers and plant controllers 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 plant controller takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a plant manager has an average salary of $113,843, which is higher than the $99,550 average annual salary of a plant controller.
The top three skills for a plant manager include continuous improvement, customer service and safety program. The most important skills for a plant controller are internal controls, GAAP, and plant management.
| Plant Manager | Plant Controller | |
| Yearly salary | $113,843 | $99,550 |
| Hourly rate | $54.73 | $47.86 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 275,962 | 47,555 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
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 plant controller works at factories where they are primarily in charge of administrative duties and ensuring that operations adhere to budgets, schedules, and standards. As a plant controller, they are also responsible for gathering and analyzing financial data, analyzing cost reports, preparing financial statements, maintaining databases, performing audits and risk assessments, and overseeing the accounting team procedures. Additionally, they also supervise staff operations and address issues and concerns while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Plant managers and plant controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Manager | Plant Controller | |
| Average salary | $113,843 | $99,550 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $152,000 | Between $72,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | Reno, NV |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | Arkema |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a plant manager and a plant controller in terms of educational background:
| Plant Manager | Plant Controller | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Business | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between plant managers' and plant controllers' demographics:
| Plant Manager | Plant Controller | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 75.9% Female, 24.1% |
| 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, 8.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 7.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |