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The differences between production managers and assistant 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 manager and an assistant production manager. Additionally, a production manager has an average salary of $78,064, which is higher than the $60,730 average annual salary of an assistant production manager.
The top three skills for a production manager include continuous improvement, customer service and quality standards. The most important skills for an assistant production manager are OSHA, production schedules, and safety procedures.
| Production Manager | Assistant Production Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $78,064 | $60,730 |
| Hourly rate | $37.53 | $29.20 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 95,561 | 91,839 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
An assistant production manager is responsible for planning and overseeing an organization's manufacturing operations, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. They work under the directives and supervision of a production manager and present them with regular progress reports. Moreover, an assistant production manager also performs support tasks such as preparing guidelines and timelines, assessing the workforce's performance, liaising with internal and external parties, maintaining records, coordinating staff, and resolving issues and concerns. They must also lead and encourage staff while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Production managers and assistant production managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Manager | Assistant Production Manager | |
| Average salary | $78,064 | $60,730 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $120,000 | Between $39,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Piscataway, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | Pace University |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a production manager and an assistant production manager in terms of educational background:
| Production Manager | Assistant Production Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between production managers' and assistant production managers' demographics:
| Production Manager | Assistant Production Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4% | Male, 65.6% Female, 34.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |