Production manager vs plant superintendent

The differences between production managers and plant superintendents 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 a plant superintendent. Additionally, a plant superintendent has an average salary of $95,149, which is higher than the $78,064 average annual salary of a production manager.

The top three skills for a production manager include continuous improvement, customer service and quality standards. The most important skills for a plant superintendent are plant safety, production supervisors, and OSHA.

Production manager vs plant superintendent overview

	Production Manager	Plant Superintendent
Yearly salary	$78,064	$95,149
Hourly rate	$37.53	$45.74
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	95,561	31,744
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	46	48
Years of experience	2	2

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.

What does a plant superintendent do?

Plant superintendents must have skills in operations, productions, and management. They also need a 4-year degree in business or industrial management. Those who choose this career will be called upon to oversee a plant's manufacturing processes and to recommend improvements to increase productivity. They also enforce all state and federal regulations for plant operations and employee safety.

Production manager vs plant superintendent salary

Production managers and plant superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Production Manager	Plant Superintendent
Average salary	$78,064	$95,149
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $120,000	Between $67,000 And $134,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	West Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Alaska
Best paying company	Cheniere Energy	Koch Industries
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between production manager and plant superintendent education

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

	Production Manager	Plant Superintendent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Northwestern University

Production manager vs plant superintendent demographics

Here are the differences between production managers' and plant superintendents' demographics:

	Production Manager	Plant Superintendent
Average age	46	48
Gender ratio	Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4%	Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1%
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, 4.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 69.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between production manager and plant superintendent duties and responsibilities

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.

Plant superintendent example responsibilities.

Manage employee's schedules, time off requests, vacation and payroll with the KRONOS time management software.
Establish safety training program and documentation to satisfy OSHA requirements.
Direct and monitor plant personnel in accordance with OSHA regulations and company safety program.
Function as plant buyer, scheduler, maintenance, and QC lab tech.
Assist machine shop employee's adherence to GMP regulations and completing all necessary paperwork.
Organize training programs for the production personnel GMP, safety compliance and S.O.P's.

Production manager vs plant superintendent skills

Common production manager skills

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

Common plant superintendent skills

Plant Safety, 10%
Production Supervisors, 9%
OSHA, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Plant Operations, 6%
Lean Manufacturing, 5%

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Production Manager vs Plant Superintendent

Updated January 8, 2025

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