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What is a production engineering manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Yi Yang PhD

Every product that comes into your house is carefully thought out and planned -- most likely by a Production Engineering Manager. Production Engineering Managers plan and develop methods to improve manufacturing processes. They are responsible for reviewing the manufacturing budget, determining resource allocation, and ensuring that production schedules are on track. They can also be involved in designing and engineering infrastructure equipment for production lines.

An effective Production Engineering Manager must demonstrate excellent analytical skills, communication skills, and an eye for detail. And so, many of them go to college to acquire and train these skills. You'll probably want to earn at least a Bachelor's degree for this position, as 44% of Production Engineering Managers have a Bachelor's degree, while 23% have a Master's degree. Most of them major in business, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering.

On average, Production Engineering Managers in the United States make a yearly salary of $116,000. It's mostly a male-dominated field, but more and more women are gradually taking the mantle.

What general advice would you give to a production engineering manager?

Yi Yang PhDYi Yang PhD LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University - Abington

For new graduates beginning their careers in engineering, I would advise them to consider the broader impact of their work and look for opportunities to expand their management potential. While engineering is a highly technical field, it's important to recognize the value of leadership roles in preserving a culture of innovation. By taking on these positions, you can help ensure that companies prioritize long-term innovation over short-term gains (cutting R&D to boost the balance sheet), thus preserving the engineering culture that drives meaningful progress.
ScoreProduction Engineering ManagerUS Average
Salary
7.5

Avg. Salary $96,688

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 11.82%

Black or African American 3.06%

Hispanic or Latino 8.70%

Unknown 4.65%

White 71.61%

Gender

female 5.64%

male 94.36%

Age - 48
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 - 48
Stress level
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Production engineering manager career paths

Key steps to become a production engineering manager

  1. Explore production engineering manager education requirements

    Most common production engineering manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    63.7 %

    Associate

    18.6 %

    Master's

    11.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific production engineering manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Production Engineering17.48%
    Continuous Improvement6.95%
    R5.29%
    Lean Manufacturing5.11%
    Process Improvement4.84%
  3. Complete relevant production engineering manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New production engineering 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 production engineering manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real production engineering manager resumes.
  4. Research production engineering manager duties and responsibilities

    • Establish KPI s per processes to assure the objectives accomplish.
    • Manage product allocation and inventory through MRP software and communicate technical specifications.
    • Manage state-of-the-art extrusion plant with single screw and twin screw technology and co-extrusion capability.
    • Manage workflow and oversee strict cleanroom operations, assuring compliance with FDA specifications including labeling and packaging traceability.
  5. Prepare your production engineering manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your production engineering manager resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a production engineering manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable production engineering manager resume templates

    Build a professional production engineering manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your production engineering manager resume.
    Production Engineering Manager Resume
    Production Engineering Manager Resume
    Production Engineering Manager Resume
    Production Engineering Manager Resume
    Production Engineering Manager Resume
    Production Engineering Manager Resume
    Production Engineering Manager Resume
    Production Engineering Manager Resume
    Production Engineering Manager Resume
  6. Apply for production engineering manager jobs

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

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

How did you land your first production engineering manager job

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Average production engineering manager salary

The average production engineering manager salary in the United States is $96,688 per year or $46 per hour. Production engineering manager salaries range between $68,000 and $135,000 per year.

Average production engineering manager salary
$96,688 Yearly
$46.48 hourly

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Production engineering manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2022
Cons

When my children were young and still in school, I didn't like not having a work-life balance to be with the family. But now my family is grown up with there own families.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros

To maximize company's productivity,reducing wastes, avoiding un necessary costs,setting the proper work flow

Cons

Un cleared management system


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros

Being able to solve technical problems and manage staff for work

Cons

Less pay and not being able to freely speak what's on my mind


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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