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The differences between site directors and plant managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a site director, becoming a plant manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a plant manager has an average salary of $113,843, which is higher than the $43,762 average annual salary of a site director.
The top three skills for a site director include customer service, child care and CPR. The most important skills for a plant manager are continuous improvement, customer service, and safety program.
| Site Director | Plant Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $43,762 | $113,843 |
| Hourly rate | $21.04 | $54.73 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 21,166 | 275,962 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A site director is in charge of delegating tasks to supervisors, and overseeing all construction operations, implementing all safety policies and regulations to ensure a safe and productive work environment for all employees. They are also primarily responsible for coordinating with architects and clients, reporting progress or any issues to them, negotiating contracts, and even deciding on workforce and suppliers. Furthermore, it is crucial to monitor all operations and ensure that everything is within the allotted budget and deadline.
In general, plant managers are responsible for the entire operations in a manufacturing plant. Plant managers plan, direct, organize, and run the optimum operations of the plant daily. They create and execute organizational or departmental goals procedures, and policies. They aim to increase the manufacturing production and the capacity and flexibility of its assets while keeping its current quality standards and unnecessary costs. They are expected to have a better understanding of the manufacturing industry like equipment use and mechanical aptitude.
Site directors and plant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Site Director | Plant Manager | |
| Average salary | $43,762 | $113,843 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $85,000 | Between $85,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | Philadelphia, PA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Okta | Koch Industries |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a site director and a plant manager in terms of educational background:
| Site Director | Plant Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between site directors' and plant managers' demographics:
| Site Director | Plant Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0% | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 10% |