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Industrial Production Managers

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure

What they do

Plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and quantity specifications.

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $126,060 Median per year · $60.61/hr Most earn $78,000–$205,520

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Review plans and confer with research or support staff to develop new products or processes.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Develop budgets or approve expenditures for supplies, materials, or human resources, ensuring that materials, labor, or equipment are used efficiently to meet production targets.
  • Prepare and maintain production reports or personnel records.

Job outlook

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 17,000 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Fabricated metal product manufacturing5.8%
  • Chemical manufacturing5.3%
  • Machinery manufacturing4.4%
  • Aerospace product and parts manufacturing3.8%
  • Plastics product manufacturing3.8%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

This is not usually an entry-level job. Most people start on the production floor after high school or a certificate program, then move into supervision and management over about 2 to 4 years of related work experience.

  1. High school diploma with math and science

    4 years

    Strong math, science, and shop or technical classes build the basics for reading production data, measurements, and safety rules.

  2. Manufacturing certificate or apprenticeship

    6 months to 2 years

    A short certificate or apprenticeship in machining, welding, or industrial maintenance teaches hands-on skills and how manufacturing equipment works.

  3. Production Associate or Manufacturing Technician

    2-4 years

    You learn how the production line runs, how quality and cost targets are tracked, and how to lead a small team, which prepares you for management.

  4. Industrial Production Manager

    Career goal

    You plan schedules, staffing, and resources so products are made on time, on budget, and to quality standards.

Where it can lead

  1. Quality Control Systems Manager

    4-6 years of experience first

    You shift focus from running production to designing and overseeing the quality systems that keep products meeting standards; this role usually calls for a bachelor's degree.

  2. Supply Chain Manager

    6-8 years of experience first

    You oversee how materials, suppliers, and shipping work together across the company, which builds on production planning experience and usually needs a bachelor's degree.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math, physics, and shop or engineering classesThese classes build the problem-solving and technical skills used on production lines.
  • Join a robotics, CTE, or skills clubTeam projects teach you to plan work, meet deadlines, and fix problems together.
  • Look for a summer or part-time job at a factory or warehouseEven a starter job shows you how a production floor runs and how teams get work done.
  • Tour local manufacturing plantsMany plants offer tours or job fairs, which can show you the careers that exist and what they require.
  • Practice clear writing and speakingManagers write reports and lead meetings, so strong communication matters from the start.

In college

  • Take industrial technology, manufacturing, or operations coursesCourses in production processes, lean methods, or quality control directly match what this job does.
  • Pursue an internship at a manufacturerHands-on time on a production floor shows you the daily work and gives you experience employers look for.
  • Work a campus job that involves scheduling or supervisingLeading shifts or coordinating a team builds the people and planning skills this career needs.
  • Earn a certificate in lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or safetyShort certifications, often offered by community colleges, show employers you understand process improvement.
  • Join a student operations or engineering clubClub projects let you practice managing resources, budgets, and deadlines with a team.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask your employer about tuition help or on-the-job training; many manufacturers pay for certificates while you work.
  • Learn basic spreadsheet skills and how to read production reports, since managers use them every day.
  • Show leadership early by training new coworkers or volunteering to lead a small project; supervisors often come from within the plant.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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