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The differences between plant managers and plant superintendents 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 superintendent takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a plant manager has an average salary of $113,843, which is higher than the $95,149 average annual salary of a plant superintendent.
The top three skills for a plant manager include continuous improvement, customer service and safety program. The most important skills for a plant superintendent are plant safety, production supervisors, and OSHA.
| Plant Manager | Plant Superintendent | |
| Yearly salary | $113,843 | $95,149 |
| Hourly rate | $54.73 | $45.74 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 275,962 | 31,744 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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.
Plant superintendents must have skills in operations, productions, and management. They also need a 4-year degree in business or industrial management. Those who choose this career will be called upon to oversee a plant's manufacturing processes and to recommend improvements to increase productivity. They also enforce all state and federal regulations for plant operations and employee safety.
Plant managers and plant superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Manager | Plant Superintendent | |
| Average salary | $113,843 | $95,149 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $152,000 | Between $67,000 And $134,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | West Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | Koch Industries |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a plant manager and a plant superintendent in terms of educational background:
| Plant Manager | Plant Superintendent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between plant managers' and plant superintendents' demographics:
| Plant Manager | Plant Superintendent | |
| Average age | 44 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1% |
| 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, 4.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 69.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 8% |