Production manager vs production team leader

The differences between production managers and production team leaders 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 team leader. Additionally, a production manager has an average salary of $78,064, which is higher than the $38,780 average annual salary of a production team leader.

The top three skills for a production manager include continuous improvement, customer service and quality standards. The most important skills for a production team leader are customer service, safety procedures, and quality standards.

Production manager vs production team leader overview

	Production Manager	Production Team Leader
Yearly salary	$78,064	$38,780
Hourly rate	$37.53	$18.64
Growth rate	3%	-
Number of jobs	95,561	149,057
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	46	46
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 production team leader do?

A production team leader is in charge of leading and overseeing the efforts of a production team, ensuring projects are carried out in adherence to its goals and timelines. It is their duty to set guidelines and objectives, manage budgets and schedules, liaise with internal and external parties, and assess the performance of team members. They must also monitor the progress of operations and address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Moreover, a production team leader must encourage and lead staff to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Production manager vs production team leader salary

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

	Production Manager	Production Team Leader
Average salary	$78,064	$38,780
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $120,000	Between $25,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Brentwood, NY
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Wyoming
Best paying company	Cheniere Energy	Plug Power
Best paying industry	Technology	Automotive

Differences between production manager and production team leader education

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

	Production Manager	Production Team Leader
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Production manager vs production team leader demographics

Here are the differences between production managers' and production team leaders' demographics:

	Production Manager	Production Team Leader
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4%	Male, 69.9% Female, 30.1%
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, 12.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between production manager and production team leader 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.

Production team leader example responsibilities.

Devise and implement procedures to achieve ISO registration.
Manage manufacturing department operations to ensure compliance with establish quality specifications, production levels, and FDA regulations.
Enforce policy and procedures including GMP and HACCP; ensure employees follow FDA, GDA, OHSA regulations.
Request parts from materials warehouse, assist and troubleshoot assembly procedures; research part numbers, build procedures and schematics.
Improve general production and quality of product by ensuring strict commitment to GMP, FDA regulations, and standard operating procedures.
Participate in Kaizen meetings to increase production efficiency and reduce downtime.

Production manager vs production team leader 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 team leader skills

Customer Service, 8%
Safety Procedures, 7%
Quality Standards, 6%
Work Ethic, 5%
Production Schedules, 5%
Lean Manufacturing, 5%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Production Manager
Production Manager vs Production Team Leader

Updated January 8, 2025

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