Plant superintendent vs operations manager

The differences between plant superintendents and operations managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a plant superintendent, becoming an operations manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a plant superintendent has an average salary of $95,149, which is higher than the $76,894 average annual salary of an operations manager.

The top three skills for a plant superintendent include plant safety, production supervisors and OSHA. The most important skills for an operations manager are customer service, logistics, and continuous improvement.

Plant superintendent vs operations manager overview

	Plant Superintendent	Operations Manager
Yearly salary	$95,149	$76,894
Hourly rate	$45.74	$36.97
Growth rate	3%	6%
Number of jobs	31,744	343,868
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	48	44
Years of experience	2	6

What does a plant superintendent do?

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.

What does an operations manager do?

Operations managers are in charge of running the main business of the organization. They ensure that the business is running smoothly from an operations standpoint. They make sure that the processes in place produce the necessary output by implementing quality control measures. They also manage finances and ensure that there is enough budget to keep the operations of the business running. They also ensure that the production of goods or services is cost-efficient. Operations managers also handle people-related concerns. They are responsible for interviewing candidates, choosing the ones to hire, and ensuring that individuals assigned to operations are properly trained.

Plant superintendent vs operations manager salary

Plant superintendents and operations managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plant Superintendent	Operations Manager
Average salary	$95,149	$76,894
Salary range	Between $67,000 And $134,000	Between $47,000 And $123,000
Highest paying City	West Sacramento, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Delaware
Best paying company	Koch Industries	McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between plant superintendent and operations manager education

There are a few differences between a plant superintendent and an operations manager in terms of educational background:

	Plant Superintendent	Operations Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Pennsylvania

Plant superintendent vs operations manager demographics

Here are the differences between plant superintendents' and operations managers' demographics:

	Plant Superintendent	Operations Manager
Average age	48	44
Gender ratio	Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1%	Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	10%

Differences between plant superintendent and operations manager duties and responsibilities

Plant superintendent example responsibilities.

Manage employee's schedules, time off requests, vacation and payroll with the KRONOS time management software.
Establish safety training program and documentation to satisfy OSHA requirements.
Direct and monitor plant personnel in accordance with OSHA regulations and company safety program.
Function as plant buyer, scheduler, maintenance, and QC lab tech.
Assist machine shop employee's adherence to GMP regulations and completing all necessary paperwork.
Organize training programs for the production personnel GMP, safety compliance and S.O.P's.

Operations manager example responsibilities.

Manage and lead operations that include performance management, organizational development, employment compliance, employee relations, payroll management.
Manage 2HVAC system retrofit replacement teams.
Manage all invoices, A/P, A/R and other accounting duties.
Manage computer operation teams supporting propriety and DoD programs at the Lewisville site.
Manage 45 person division and day to day operations of scheduling, communications, A/R, A/P and customer care.
Manage the export booking and documentation department ensuring smooth on-time delivery.

Plant superintendent vs operations manager skills

Common plant superintendent skills

Plant Safety, 10%
Production Supervisors, 9%
OSHA, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Plant Operations, 6%
Lean Manufacturing, 5%

Common operations manager skills

Customer Service, 23%
Logistics, 7%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Payroll, 5%
Project Management, 4%
Process Improvement, 4%

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Plant Superintendent
Plant Superintendent vs Operations Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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