Senior manufacturing associate vs manufacturing manager

The differences between senior manufacturing associates and manufacturing 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 senior manufacturing associate and a manufacturing manager. Additionally, a manufacturing manager has an average salary of $101,712, which is higher than the $62,504 average annual salary of a senior manufacturing associate.

The top three skills for a senior manufacturing associate include GMP, cell culture and lean six sigma. The most important skills for a manufacturing manager are continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and production schedules.

Senior manufacturing associate vs manufacturing manager overview

	Senior Manufacturing Associate	Manufacturing Manager
Yearly salary	$62,504	$101,712
Hourly rate	$30.05	$48.90
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	28,223	40,395
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	45	48
Years of experience	2	2

What does a senior manufacturing associate do?

To become a senior manufacturing associate, you need to have structured ideas for the manufacturing process. You need to have excellent analytical skills to look after the manufacturing process of the company. As a senior manufacturing associate, you have to manage the raw materials for manufacturing operations, especially for GMP. Moreover, you need to ensure compliance with the ISO 9001/1400. You should also have the ability to run a variety of CNC machines for prototyping and production. Being a manufacturing associate, you also have the responsibility to assess the marketing applications to help the company get approval from the FDA.

What does a manufacturing manager do?

A manufacturing manager is an individual who manages the day-to-day operations of the organization's production process to ensure that all workers and departments meet the organization's productivity and efficiency standards. Manufacturing managers work under a department head and assist them in planning and directing an efficient equipment layout and material flow. They implement quality control programs that ensure finished products are in par with a certain standard. They also train manufacturing workers and monitor them to ensure that they meet performance and safety requirements.

Senior manufacturing associate vs manufacturing manager salary

Senior manufacturing associates and manufacturing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Manufacturing Associate	Manufacturing Manager
Average salary	$62,504	$101,712
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $90,000	Between $71,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	Vacaville, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Boehringer Ingelheim	Bain & Company
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between senior manufacturing associate and manufacturing manager education

There are a few differences between a senior manufacturing associate and a manufacturing manager in terms of educational background:

	Senior Manufacturing Associate	Manufacturing Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Northwestern University

Senior manufacturing associate vs manufacturing manager demographics

Here are the differences between senior manufacturing associates' and manufacturing managers' demographics:

	Senior Manufacturing Associate	Manufacturing Manager
Average age	45	48
Gender ratio	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%	Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 9.5% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 9.2% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between senior manufacturing associate and manufacturing manager duties and responsibilities

Senior manufacturing associate example responsibilities.

Own and manage assign corrective/preventative (CAPA) actions in the associated quality system.
Manage raw material inventory for GMP manufacturing operations.
Initiate class 1 NC's (final approval by QA).
Interact with other manufacturing groups such as QA, MTS, QC, etc.
Initiate and investigate deviations within the manufacturing processes and perform CAPA.
Co-Le audit inspection readiness program to have area inspection ready for FDA and business partners at all times.

Manufacturing manager example responsibilities.

Lead plant start up efforts by implementing TPM systems, training, tracking, course correction.
Manage a 3 shift 63 machinist , 15 mfg engineers, and 5 support CNC machining operations.
Manage cross-functional teams to derive root cause analysis and resolutions for deviations, investigations and CAPA's.
Manage tech transfers, DFM, suppliers and CMO on late stage & commercial drug-device combination products.
Manage all tissue valve production functions including QC inspection, machine shop, custom device and surgical accessories.
Utilize applicable decision making tools to consider assets, evaluate effectiveness and realign to achieve strategic goals and ROI.

Senior manufacturing associate vs manufacturing manager skills

Common senior manufacturing associate skills

GMP, 13%
Cell Culture, 6%
Lean Six Sigma, 6%
Harvest, 6%
CIP, 4%
Production Equipment, 4%

Common manufacturing manager skills

Continuous Improvement, 10%
Lean Manufacturing, 9%
Production Schedules, 4%
Production Supervisors, 4%
Sigma, 4%
Project Management, 3%

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Senior Manufacturing Associate vs Manufacturing Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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