Production controller vs production manager

The differences between production controllers 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 controller and a production manager. Additionally, a production manager has an average salary of $78,064, which is higher than the $53,125 average annual salary of a production controller.

The top three skills for a production controller include production control, production planning and logistics. The most important skills for a production manager are continuous improvement, customer service, and quality standards.

Production controller vs production manager overview

	Production Controller	Production Manager
Yearly salary	$53,125	$78,064
Hourly rate	$25.54	$37.53
Growth rate	-3%	3%
Number of jobs	71,747	95,561
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	45	46
Years of experience	2	2

What does a production controller do?

A production controller is in charge of overseeing manufacturing operations, ensuring the workflow adheres to the quality standards, budgets, and deadlines. It is their duty to develop production and inventory control techniques, coordinate with managers to establish objectives and guidelines, review production plans and job orders, and supervise the supply chain operations. They also monitor every procedure, implement solutions in problem areas, and produce progress reports as needed. Furthermore, as a production controller, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with the production team while implementing the company's protocols and policies.

What does a production manager do?

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 controller vs production manager salary

Production controllers and production managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Production Controller	Production Manager
Average salary	$53,125	$78,064
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $74,000	Between $50,000 And $120,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Intuitive Surgical	Cheniere Energy
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between production controller and production manager education

There are a few differences between a production controller and a production manager in terms of educational background:

	Production Controller	Production Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Stanford University

Production controller vs production manager demographics

Here are the differences between production controllers' and production managers' demographics:

	Production Controller	Production Manager
Average age	45	46
Gender ratio	Male, 64.0% Female, 36.0%	Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.9% 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	11%	6%

Differences between production controller and production manager duties and responsibilities

Production controller example responsibilities.

Manage multiple windows to access accurate inventory, P.O numbers and job numbers.
Schedule production and manage inventory of raw materials and finish products using the MRP inventory control system.
Manage production order releases base on space, capacity, man power and indenture BOM build schemes.
Provide management with visibility of material shortages, backlogs, manage WIP variances and other potential schedule conflicts.
Manage warehouse and shipping departments, responsible for outsourcing secondary machining of materials, purchasing MRO supplies and logistics.
Flight line expediter ensures maintenance accomplishment and sortie production by managing, controlling and directing allocate resources and personnel.

Production manager example responsibilities.

Lead a KAIZEN that save 220k in damages.
Manage lean sigma techniques and Kaizen events to reduce raw material and scrap costs.
Hire and manage crew and locations along with renting necessary film equipment and organizing shoot logistics.
Team member in setting up TPM method of measuring production (OEE), helping to achieve record production results.
Manage data reports, analyze and provide data to improve operational performance to include OEE, process reliability and labor optimization.
Manage production control group and supply replenishment logistics for the manufacturing division.

Production controller vs production manager skills

Common production controller skills

Production Control, 28%
Production Planning, 14%
Logistics, 6%
Control Procedures, 5%
Production Schedules, 3%
MRP, 3%

Common production manager skills

Continuous Improvement, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Quality Standards, 6%
Safety Procedures, 6%
Lean Manufacturing, 6%
Production Supervisors, 6%

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Production Controller
Production Controller vs Production Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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