How long does it take to become a Production Manager?

It takes 6 years of professional experience to become a production manager. That is the time it takes to learn specific production manager skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 9 to 11 years years to become a production manager.

What do you call a production manager?

You can call a production manager a plant manager. A production manager in manufacturing is commonly known as a plant manager. However, many other titles are also used depending on the company and industry.

What does it take to be a production manager?

What it takes to be a production manager is a hard-working attitude, supervisor experience, and a willingness to learn production. A production manager in manufacturing maintains records of material counts, employee quotes, and more. In this position, your duties are to keep the facility working at the capacity requested by your supervisor.

What qualifications do you need to be a production manager?

The qualifications needed to be a production manager are the right culmination of fundamental manufacturing knowledge and experience working in a supervisor role in production. Most production managers have a bachelor's degree in degree in business administration or industrial engineering. After that, experience related to operations and five or more years of experience in a supervisory or management role is needed.

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

What is a production manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A production manager is responsible for overseeing the manufacturing process of a company. They plan, coordinate and control the production process to ensure goods are produced efficiently and on time. They manage staff, equipment, and resources to optimize productivity. A production manager must have an in-depth understanding of their industry, as well as knowledge of quality control and safety regulations. They also collaborate with other departments to ensure that the products produced meet customer demand.

ScoreProduction ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.1

Avg. Salary $78,064

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.1

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.71%

Asian 5.07%

Black or African American 11.89%

Hispanic or Latino 17.35%

Unknown 4.15%

White 60.84%

Gender

female 23.43%

male 76.57%

Age - 47

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 - 47

Stress level

8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a production manager?

Pros

High salary potential
Varied and challenging work
Chance to work with cutting-edge technology
Opportunities for travel and networking
Job security

Cons

Long hours and high stress levels
Pressure to meet tight deadlines
High level of responsibility for ensuring the quality and safety of products or services
Need to navigate complex regulations and compliance requirements
Potential for unexpected setbacks or delays that can impact schedules or budgets

Key steps to become a production manager

Explore production manager education requirements

Most common production manager degrees

Bachelor's

61.7 %

Associate

18.2 %

High School Diploma

8.2 %

Start to develop specific production manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Continuous Improvement	8.00%
Customer Service	6.85%
Quality Standards	6.15%
Safety Procedures	5.90%
Lean Manufacturing	5.73%

Complete relevant production manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New production 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 manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real production manager resumes.

Gain additional production manager certifications

Production manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific production manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for production managers include Six Sigma Green Belt and Certified Security Supervision & Management (CSS).

More About Certifications

Research production manager duties and 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.

Prepare your production manager resume

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

Build a professional production 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 manager resume.

Apply for production manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a production 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

How do production managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Production manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2022

Pros

Being able to create a work environment where people flourish, come together, build good relationships form positive teamwork, watching work flow smoothly, reaching or exceeding goals, and be accountable. 2. An opportunity to learn shop floor activities technically and also to develop managerial skills.

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.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020

Cons

No effort in team work, disorganized, no leadership.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

I like getting to know the company's operation and running numbers to see what opportunities there are for improvement.

Cons

I don't dislike anything about supervising, however the most difficult part of this position for me was managing people. This is a challenge when turnover rates are high.

What is a production manager and how to become one

What are the pros and cons of being a production manager?

Production manager career paths

Key steps to become a production manager

Explore production manager education requirements

Most common production manager degrees

Start to develop specific production manager skills

Complete relevant production manager training and internships

Gain additional production manager certifications

Research production manager duties and responsibilities

Prepare your production manager resume

Choose from 10+ customizable production manager resume templates

Apply for production manager jobs

How did you land your first production manager job

Average production manager salary

How do production managers rate their job?

Production manager reviews

Production manager FAQs

How long does it take to become a Production Manager?

What do you call a production manager?

What does it take to be a production manager?

What qualifications do you need to be a production manager?

Search for production manager jobs

Production manager jobs by state