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The differences between plant managers and regional operation 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 regional operation manager. Additionally, a plant manager has an average salary of $113,843, which is higher than the $78,588 average annual salary of a regional operation manager.
The top three skills for a plant manager include continuous improvement, customer service and safety program. The most important skills for a regional operation manager are customer service, regional operations, and oversight.
| Plant Manager | Regional Operation Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $113,843 | $78,588 |
| Hourly rate | $54.73 | $37.78 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 275,962 | 346,480 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
A regional operation manager is in charge of overseeing multiple stores or warehouses in a particular region, ensuring efficiency and profitability. Their responsibilities typically revolve around setting sales targets, devising marketing and workforce management strategies, and gathering extensive data to produce progress reports and presentations. They must also address issues and concerns, dealing and resolving them in a timely and professional manner. Furthermore, as a regional operation manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Plant managers and regional operation managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Manager | Regional Operation Manager | |
| Average salary | $113,843 | $78,588 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $152,000 | Between $57,000 And $106,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | Tacoma, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a plant manager and a regional operation manager in terms of educational background:
| Plant Manager | Regional Operation Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between plant managers' and regional operation managers' demographics:
| Plant Manager | Regional Operation Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |