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The differences between plant managers and process improvement 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 process improvement manager. Additionally, a plant manager has an average salary of $113,843, which is higher than the $105,454 average annual salary of a process improvement manager.
The top three skills for a plant manager include continuous improvement, customer service and safety program. The most important skills for a process improvement manager are sigma, lean six sigma, and project management.
| Plant Manager | Process Improvement Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $113,843 | $105,454 |
| Hourly rate | $54.73 | $50.70 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 275,962 | 177,168 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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.
Process Improvement Managers oversee the operational processes of the company. These processes are usually related to production, sales, marketing, human resources, or finance. Process Improvement Managers are in charge of creating policies and procedures to guide the company's different departments. They analyze related data and craft recommendations to improve the procedures. They ensure that their recommendations lead to higher efficiency. Process Improvement Managers also ensure that these new processes are implemented properly and yield results.
Plant managers and process improvement managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Manager | Process Improvement Manager | |
| Average salary | $113,843 | $105,454 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $152,000 | Between $80,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a plant manager and a process improvement manager in terms of educational background:
| Plant Manager | Process Improvement Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between plant managers' and process improvement managers' demographics:
| Plant Manager | Process Improvement Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 69.0% Female, 31.0% |
| 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, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |