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Production manager vs production coordinator

The differences between production managers and production coordinators 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 production coordinator. Additionally, a production manager has an average salary of $78,064, which is higher than the $49,366 average annual salary of a production coordinator.

The top three skills for a production manager include continuous improvement, customer service and quality standards. The most important skills for a production coordinator are customer service, logistics, and video production.

Production manager vs production coordinator overview

Production ManagerProduction Coordinator
Yearly salary$78,064$49,366
Hourly rate$37.53$23.73
Growth rate3%-3%
Number of jobs95,56168,532
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4646
Years of experience22

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 production coordinator do?

A production coordinator's role will vary depending on the industry or line of work. A production coordinator serves as the entire crew's primary point of contact on television and film sets. Among their primary responsibilities is to ensure that everyone gets to receive the necessary reports, daily schedule, and urgent reminders. Moreover, a production coordinator also has to manage the budget, reach out to food caterers, prepare the transportation and location, handle the accommodation and equipment rentals, process the billing, and even secure the necessary permits and documentation.

Production manager vs production coordinator salary

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

Production ManagerProduction Coordinator
Average salary$78,064$49,366
Salary rangeBetween $50,000 And $120,000Between $35,000 And $67,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateRhode IslandWyoming
Best paying companyCheniere EnergyMeta
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between production manager and production coordinator education

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

Production ManagerProduction Coordinator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Production manager vs production coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between production managers' and production coordinators' demographics:

Production ManagerProduction Coordinator
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 76.6% Female, 23.4%Male, 47.1% Female, 52.9%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between production manager and production coordinator 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.
  • Show more

Production coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage the deployment communications for the Mid-Atlantic upgrade of ATM hardware.
  • Create social media campaigns on Facebook and help manage the AKAOKA blog.
  • Create UNIX shell scripts to automate the processes by avoiding manual process.
  • Utilize EDI communications to manage customer requirements and shipment coordination.
  • Participate and lead Kaizen improvement activities to assure optimum productivity and costs.
  • Manage FedEx shipment processing which includes receiving incoming shipments and keeping records concerning these transactions.
  • Show more

Production manager vs production coordinator skills

Common production manager skills
  • Continuous Improvement, 8%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Quality Standards, 6%
  • Safety Procedures, 6%
  • Lean Manufacturing, 6%
  • Production Supervisors, 6%
Common production coordinator skills
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Logistics, 8%
  • Video Production, 6%
  • Production Process, 6%
  • Purchase Orders, 6%
  • Production Schedules, 5%

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