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Production director vs print production manager

The differences between production directors and print 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 director and a print production manager. Additionally, a production director has an average salary of $118,207, which is higher than the $57,213 average annual salary of a print production manager.

The top three skills for a production director include video production, project management and oversight. The most important skills for a print production manager are customer service, production schedules, and project management.

Production director vs print production manager overview

Production DirectorPrint Production Manager
Yearly salary$118,207$57,213
Hourly rate$56.83$27.51
Growth rate8%3%
Number of jobs59,41791,573
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4046
Years of experience22

What does a production director do?

Production directors work with production teams to manage the operation workflow, quality, and schedule adherence. They also monitor production activities to make necessary adjustments to the schedule to ensure that all deliverables are delivered on time, develop ideas for process improvements, and optimize production speed while maintaining the quality of the products. There are a few skills that most employers look for in production directors, like analytical skills, leadership skills, and creativity which are very helpful in fulfilling this role.

What does a print production manager do?

The job of a print production manager involves supervising the bid and negotiation process with suppliers and vendors of print jobs. Print production managers are in charge of tasks like sales collateral, seasonal promotions, direct mail, and any other printed media. They are the ones who approve the print production priorities and schedules, budgets, and print specifications. It is their responsibility to ensure the efficiency and reliability of operating the manufacturing processes.

Production director vs print production manager salary

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

Production DirectorPrint Production Manager
Average salary$118,207$57,213
Salary rangeBetween $70,000 And $199,000Between $33,000 And $97,000
Highest paying CityWhite Plains, NYJersey City, NJ
Highest paying stateConnecticutNew Jersey
Best paying companyNetflixApple
Best paying industryFinance-

Differences between production director and print production manager education

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

Production DirectorPrint Production Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorCommunicationGraphic Design
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Production director vs print production manager demographics

Here are the differences between production directors' and print production managers' demographics:

Production DirectorPrint Production Manager
Average age4046
Gender ratioMale, 70.0% Female, 30.0%Male, 54.2% Female, 45.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 4.9% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage14%6%

Differences between production director and print production manager duties and responsibilities

Production director example responsibilities.

  • Manage numerous departments within both boys and girl's wovens and denim.
  • Prepare RFQ's, manage quotes, review and evaluate all bids.
  • Manage UX and development teams, from inception to delivery of CMS platform.
  • Manage theatrical release masters and digital content for Netflix, DVD / BluRay release.
  • Manage 22 staff in all aspects of plastics injection / extrusion production and plant maintenance engineering.
  • Lead all budgeting efforts as related to implementation of print packaging, whether FDA mandate or market driven.
  • Show more

Print production manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage print production of service manuals for electric hand tools and various in-house print runs.
  • Manage operations of a 15 employee in-house 4/C print shop scheduling and controlling operations within the plant.
  • Manage manufacturing of CD's and DVD's (including purchasing, offset and screen printing, and packaging).
  • Manage a team of production managers and coordinators while performing regularly assign duties.
  • Manage operations of a high-precision machining facility consisting of state-of-the-art CNC machine tools.
  • Improve Rock-Tenn's UV capabilities.
  • Show more

Production director vs print production manager skills

Common production director skills
  • Video Production, 10%
  • Project Management, 8%
  • Oversight, 6%
  • Production Process, 6%
  • Audio Production, 5%
  • Production Operations, 4%
Common print production manager skills
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • Production Schedules, 9%
  • Project Management, 7%
  • Graphic Design, 5%
  • Press Checks, 4%
  • Adobe Creative Suite, 4%

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