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The differences between production administrators and production managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a production administrator and a production manager. Additionally, a production manager has an average salary of $78,064, which is higher than the $39,943 average annual salary of a production administrator.
The top three skills for a production administrator include data entry, purchase orders and windows. The most important skills for a production manager are continuous improvement, customer service, and quality standards.
| Production Administrator | Production Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $39,943 | $78,064 |
| Hourly rate | $19.20 | $37.53 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 102,025 | 95,561 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 48 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Production administrators support all artistic and production functions with expert administrative support to the entire production team. Part of their responsibilities includes maintaining the annual production expenses and production calendar, researching potential venues and maintaining a venue database, and preparing expense reports for artists and production staff. These administrators must be excellent in organization and planning skills, comfortable and flexible with evolving roles, and highly proficient in computer skills such as Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Office.
Production managers work in show business, whether in film, television shows, or theatre productions. They oversee the whole production and ensure that all agreements are met. They manage finances and budget allocation. They oversee the design of costumes and sets. They also manage the timeline of filming and ensure that the production or filming will finish within the agreed timeline. Production managers also ensure that all stakeholders are satisfied. They build meaningful working relationships with everyone involved, from directors to actors to crew members. They try to mitigate any potential challenges in the production budget and schedule.
Production administrators and production managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Administrator | Production Manager | |
| Average salary | $39,943 | $78,064 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $60,000 | Between $50,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Binghamton, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Astronics | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a production administrator and a production manager in terms of educational background:
| Production Administrator | Production Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between production administrators' and production managers' demographics:
| Production Administrator | Production Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3% | Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 69.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |