How To Become A Process Control Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a process control manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Process control managers are in charge of process control, which is a method of controlling the quality in manufacturing while the production process runs continuously. Process control managers can work in oil refineries, pharmaceutical companies, and more. They oversee a whole team of engineers that create and maintain industrial control systems. Process control managers develop procedures, manage blueprints, and analyze key performance indicators to find ways to improve process control. They also use tools like Wonderware to develop process control solutions themselves. A successful process control manager needs to be well-versed in business processes, government regulations, and technological tools used in industrial settings such as programmable logic controllers (PLC).

Most process control managers have a bachelor's or even a master's degree in business or engineering. They also have several years of experience in production or management. Many work as process control engineers before earning a promotion to a management position.

However, the many long years of hard work certainly pays off. On average, process control managers earn $116,531 a year.

ScoreProcess Control ManagerUS Average

Salary

8.0

Avg. Salary $114,347

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.34%

Black or African American 6.15%

Hispanic or Latino 15.09%

Unknown 4.33%

White 67.62%

Gender

female 20.14%

male 79.86%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a process control manager

Explore process control manager education requirements

Most common process control manager degrees

Bachelor's

70.5 %

Master's

14.4 %

Associate

9.3 %

Start to develop specific process control manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Sarbanes-Oxley	14.12%
Business Processes	13.70%
Internal Controls	12.16%
ERP	10.92%
SOX	7.29%

Complete relevant process control manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New process control managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a process control manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real process control manager resumes.

Research process control manager duties and responsibilities

Design and manage intranet-based ISO-9001 document system containing internal ISO documents and customer engineering drawings and specifications.
Own, manage, and oversight to comprehensive quality management systems including leading policy deployment process within quality assurance function.
Develop and maintain divisional compliance and performance dashboard systems in accordance with ISO and customer requirements.
Maintain and develop positive business relationships with a customer's key personnel involve in or directly relevant to a logistics activity.

Apply for process control manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a process control manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

What is a process control manager and how to become one

Process control manager career paths