State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Industrial Production Manager Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Industrial Production Managers is $126,060 a year ($60.61/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 1.9% through 2034, with about 17,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 11-3051ManagementLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $126,060
- Projected growth
- +1.9%
- Openings a year
- 17,100
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Area Plant Manager, Assembly Manager, General Production Manager, Manufacturing Coordinator, Manufacturing Manager, Plant Manager.
How much do Industrial Production Managers make?
10th percentile$78,000
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$98,160
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$126,060
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$161,880
Upper quartile
90th percentile$205,520
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $126,060 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $60.61/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $134,170 |
| People employed | 246,250 |
Versus all US occupations
At $126,060, Industrial Production Managers earn 147% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $75,080 a year.
Versus management occupations
The median is typical for the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $205,520 or more while the bottom 10% earn $78,000, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 90% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Delaware posts the highest raw median ($153,000), but once local prices are taken into account Wyoming leads at $163,436 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Industrial Production Managers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $153,000 | $153,294 | 370 |
| Wyoming | $151,490 | $163,436 | 390 |
| Massachusetts | $148,050 | $139,991 | 4,470 |
| New Jersey | $147,260 | $135,343 | 6,780 |
| New Hampshire | $146,590 | $140,729 | 1,540 |
| Washington | $145,210 | $135,694 | 4,760 |
| Colorado | $141,020 | $136,844 | 1,730 |
| Connecticut | $134,780 | $130,084 | 3,360 |
| Louisiana | $133,210 | $151,020 | 2,680 |
| California | $132,620 | $119,780 | 25,130 |
Is Industrial Production Manager a growing career?
Industrial Production Managers1.9%
All US occupations3.1%
+1.9% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Industrial Production Managers to change 1.9% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 4,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 17,100 openings are projected each year, 7.1% of the 241,900 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Despite limited employment growth, about 17,100 openings for industrial production managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Industrial production managers will continue to be needed in manufacturing and other industries. However, in some industries with declining employment, fewer of these managers may be needed.
How to become an Industrial Production Manager
Industrial production managers typically need a bachelor’s degree and several years of related work experience.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | 5 years or more |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as industrial production managers.
- High School Diploma29.4%
- Bachelor's Degree25.8%
- Post-Secondary Certificate16.2%
- Some College Courses11.5%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)8.1%
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.
Industrial production managers oversee the operations of manufacturing and related plants. They coordinate, plan, and direct activities involved in creating a range of goods, such as cars, computer equipment, and paper products.
Day-to-day tasks
- Review operations and confer with technical or administrative staff to resolve production or processing problems.
- 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.
- Direct or coordinate production, processing, distribution, or marketing activities of industrial organizations.
- Hire, train, evaluate, or discharge staff or resolve personnel grievances.
- Prepare and maintain production reports or personnel records.
- Develop or implement production tracking or quality control systems, analyzing production, quality control, maintenance, or other operational reports to detect production problems.
- Set and monitor product standards, examining samples of raw products or directing testing during processing, to ensure finished products are of prescribed quality.
- Coordinate or recommend procedures for facility or equipment maintenance or modification, including the replacement of machines.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where industrial production managers work
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 10% |
|---|---|
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 9% |
| Chemical manufacturing | 8% |
| Food manufacturing | 8% |
| Machinery manufacturing | 7% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Speaking4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Monitoring4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.9/5
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Learning Strategies3.8/5
- Active Learning3.6/5
- Writing3.4/5
Transferable skills
- Coordination4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0/5
- Time Management3.9/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.9/5
- Systems Analysis3.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.6/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.5/5
- Systems Evaluation3.4/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video creation and editing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Industrial Production Manager?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary4.0
Investigative2.9
Artistic1.4
Social1.9
Enterprisingprimary6.0
Conventionalprimary5.2
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Industrial Production Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Industrial Production Managers make?
Industrial Production Managers earn a median of $126,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 147% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $60.61/hr. The middle half earn between $98,160 and $161,880. The top 10% earn $205,520 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Industrial Production Manager?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Industrial Production Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 29.4% hold high school diploma.
Is Industrial Production Manager a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.9% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 17,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Industrial Production Manager do?
Industrial production managers oversee the operations of manufacturing and related plants. A core O*NET task: review operations and confer with technical or administrative staff to resolve production or processing problems. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Computer aided design CAD software, Desktop publishing software.
Which states pay Industrial Production Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Industrial Production Managers are Delaware ($153,000), Wyoming ($151,490), Massachusetts ($148,050) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Wyoming moves to the top at $163,436.
What personality type suits an Industrial Production Manager?
O*NET scores Industrial Production Managers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.