Industrial Production Managers
SOC code 11-3051 · O*NET-SOC 11-3051.00 · Considerable preparation needed
Industrial Production Managers pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$126,060
a year
Hourly
$60.61
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$134,170
$64.50 per hour
Middle 50%
$98,160 – $161,880
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$78,000 – $205,520
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
246,250
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $78,000
- $37.50/hr
- 25th percentile
- $98,160
- $47.19/hr
- Median percentile
- $126,060
- $60.61/hr
- 75th percentile
- $161,880
- $77.83/hr
- 90th percentile
- $205,520
- $98.81/hr
Job outlook · federal projection 2024–34
+2%
Growing about as fast as average
241,900
jobs in 2024
246,500
projected for 2034
About 4,600 more jobs
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections, 2024–34. Projections describe the broader occupation group and are estimates, not guarantees.
What does an industrial production manager do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and quantity specifications.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- Set and monitor product standards, examining samples of raw products or directing testing during processing, to ensure finished products are of prescribed quality.
- Direct or coordinate production, processing, distribution, or marketing activities of industrial organizations.
- Review processing schedules or production orders to make decisions concerning inventory requirements, staffing requirements, work procedures, or duty assignments, considering budgetary limitations and time constraints.
- Review operations and confer with technical or administrative staff to resolve production or processing problems.
- Hire, train, evaluate, or discharge staff or resolve personnel grievances.
- Develop or implement production tracking or quality control systems, analyzing production, quality control, maintenance, or other operational reports to detect production problems.
- Prepare and maintain production reports or personnel records.
- Review plans and confer with research or support staff to develop new products or processes.
How to become an industrial production manager
Most people in this role hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged) — 29% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 4 — Considerable preparation needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)29%
- Bachelor's Degree26%
- Post-Secondary Certificate16%
- Some College Courses12%
Common questions
How much does an industrial production manager earn?
The national median is $126,060 a year. The full range runs from $78,000 at the 10th percentile to $205,520 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become an industrial production manager without a degree?
Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 4, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.
Is industrial production manager in demand?
Federal projections expect employment to grow by about 2% between 2024 and 2034 — growing about as fast as average. Openings also come from people retiring or changing jobs, which the growth figure does not count.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Speaking4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Monitoring4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.9/5
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Learning Strategies3.8/5
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing4.4/5
- Administration and Management4.1/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.6/5
- Education and Training3.4/5
- Mathematics3.4/5
- Personnel and Human Resources3.4/5
- English Language3.3/5
- Mechanical3.3/5
Transferable strengths: Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Management of Personnel Resources.