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The differences between shop foremen and 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 shop foreman and a production manager. Additionally, a production manager has an average salary of $78,064, which is higher than the $68,171 average annual salary of a shop foreman.
The top three skills for a shop foreman include customer service, preventative maintenance and CDL. The most important skills for a production manager are continuous improvement, customer service, and quality standards.
| Shop Foreman | Production Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $68,171 | $78,064 |
| Hourly rate | $32.77 | $37.53 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 16,599 | 95,561 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A shop foreman is responsible for monitoring the daily operations of a shop, ensuring that the staff members perform their duties to address customers' needs. A shop foreman manages staffing schedules, trains new employees, and distributes tasks. They often work in manufacturing, automotive, and warehouse industries, which require knowledge of operating equipment. A shop foreman must have excellent leadership and communication skills, especially on addressing customers' inquiries and complaints and performing clerical tasks as needed.
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.
Shop foremen and production managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Shop Foreman | Production Manager | |
| Average salary | $68,171 | $78,064 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $97,000 | Between $50,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Gillette, WY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Freightliner Trucks | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a shop foreman and a production manager in terms of educational background:
| Shop Foreman | Production Manager | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between shop foremen' and production managers' demographics:
| Shop Foreman | Production Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0% | Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 5.3% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |