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The differences between plant managers and zone 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 zone manager. Additionally, a plant manager has an average salary of $113,843, which is higher than the $50,974 average annual salary of a zone manager.
The top three skills for a plant manager include continuous improvement, customer service and safety program. The most important skills for a zone manager are work ethic, loss prevention, and inventory control.
| Plant Manager | Zone Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $113,843 | $50,974 |
| Hourly rate | $54.73 | $24.51 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 275,962 | 298,152 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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.
The duties of a zone manager depend on their line of work or industry of employment. In general, they are in charge of overseeing the service and product distribution operations of a company. They typically coordinate with regional managers, establish guidelines and product roadmaps, gather and analyze data from their area of assignment, perform research and analysis, conduct sales assessments, and implement solutions to optimize operations. Moreover, a zone manager must lead and encourage staff to reach goals, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
Plant managers and zone managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Manager | Zone Manager | |
| Average salary | $113,843 | $50,974 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $152,000 | Between $34,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | Ford Motor |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a plant manager and a zone manager in terms of educational background:
| Plant Manager | Zone Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between plant managers' and zone managers' demographics:
| Plant Manager | Zone Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| 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, 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% |