Plans and runs the scheduled shutdowns of refineries and chemical plants when units are taken offline for inspection, repair and upgrades. BLS does not publish separate figures for industrial production managers; it counts them within industrial production manager (SOC 11-3051), whose median pay is $126,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 11-3051
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Turnaround Manager in four numbers
- Median pay
- $126,060a year, or $60.61/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $78KTop 10% $206K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.6%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 17,000252,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025252.1K
- Projected 2035258.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 252.1K Projected 2035 258.6K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school5.3%
- High school29.4%
- Certificate16.2%
- Some college11.5%
- Associate's8.1%
- Bachelor's25.8%
Highest education held by industrial production managers Segment Value Less than high school 5.3% High school 29.4% Certificate 16.2% Some college 11.5% Associate's 8.1% Bachelor's 25.8%
Also advertised as: Turnaround Superintendent, Shutdown Manager, Turnaround Planning Manager, Outage Manager, TAR Manager.
Pay
How much do Industrial Production Managers make?
Every turnaround manager in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$126,060
Middle half earn $98,160 to $161,880
- 10th
- $78,000
- 25th
- $98,160
- 75th
- $161,880
- 90th
- $205,520
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $78,000 |
| 25th | $98,160 |
| Median | $126,060 |
| 75th | $161,880 |
| 90th | $205,520 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- 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 86% of the 1,741 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.
Pay by state
Which states pay Industrial Production Managers the most?
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.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Delaware | $153,000 | $153,294 | 370 |
| 2Wyoming | $151,490 | $163,436 | 390 |
| 3Massachusetts | $148,050 | $139,991 | 4,470 |
| 4New Jersey | $147,260 | $135,343 | 6,780 |
| 5New Hampshire | $146,590 | $140,729 | 1,540 |
| 6Washington | $145,210 | $135,694 | 4,760 |
| 7Colorado | $141,020 | $136,844 | 1,730 |
| 8Connecticut | $134,780 | $130,084 | 3,360 |
| 9Louisiana | $133,210 | $151,020 | 2,680 |
| 10California | $132,620 | $119,780 | 25,130 |
Job outlook
Is Turnaround Manager a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +2.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Industrial Production Managers | +2.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Industrial Production Managers to change 2.6% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 6,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 17,000 openings are projected each year, 6.7% of the 252,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Turnaround Manager
Turnaround managers usually have years of experience in maintenance, operations or project work in refining, chemicals or power, and many hold a bachelor's degree in engineering or construction management. People often start as planners, schedulers or maintenance supervisors on turnarounds.
Planning tools such as Primavera and knowledge of process safety management rules are essential. Credentials such as the Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional from the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals or project management certification help, but a track record of running safe turnarounds matters most. Experience with contractor management and cost control is especially valued.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
5 years or more
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
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 Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)29.4%
- Bachelor's Degree25.8%
- Post-Secondary Certificate16.2%
- Some College Courses11.5%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree8.1%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 29.4% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 25.8% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 16.2% |
| Some College Courses | 11.5% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 8.1% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Turnaround Manager do?
Every few years a refinery or chemical plant shuts down a unit for a turnaround, a planned stop for inspection, cleaning, repairs and new equipment. The turnaround manager leads that event. They define the scope of work, build detailed schedules, set the budget and line up contractors, materials and cranes long before the unit stops.
During the turnaround they run a temporary workforce that can number in the thousands, around the clock, tracking progress hour by hour. Their job is to finish safely, on schedule and on budget, then restart the unit without problems, because every extra day offline is lost production.
Day-to-day tasks
- Define and freeze the scope of work for planned shutdowns
- Build detailed turnaround schedules and budgets
- Select and coordinate contractors and specialty crews
- Order long-lead materials and equipment
- Run daily progress meetings during the shutdown
- Track safety, cost and schedule performance
- Coordinate safe shutdown and restart with operations
- Lead post-turnaround reviews
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Turnaround managers work at plants and sometimes travel between sites in a company's portfolio. Planning phases are office-based with regular hours. The turnaround itself means long shifts, nights and weekends in a hot, busy industrial setting with heavy safety requirements. Between events, managers spend long periods planning the next shutdown, and some work for contractors that move them between plants across the country.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Learning Strategies3.8
- Active Learning3.6
- Writing3.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 |
| Writing | 3.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Coordination4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Time Management3.9
- Management of Personnel Resources3.9
- Systems Analysis3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Social Perceptiveness3.5
- Systems Evaluation3.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coordination | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 |
| Time Management | 3.9 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.5 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
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.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Turnaround Manager?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ECR) built on O*NET's Industrial Production Manager profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Turnaround Manager |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising6.0
- Conventional5.3
- Realistic4.3
- Investigative2.9
- Social1.9
- Artistic1.4
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.
Explore further
Careers related to Turnaround Manager
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Management
- Management
- Management
- Management
- Management
More management careers
Median annual pay, with industrial production managers highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Turnaround Manager$126,060
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Turnaround Manager | $126,060 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Turnaround Manager appears on
Questions
Turnaround Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Industrial Production Managers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for industrial production managers. It counts them within industrial production manager, whose median pay is $126,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $98,160 and $161,880, and the top 10% earn $205,520 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Turnaround 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 or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Turnaround Manager a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.6% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 17,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Turnaround Manager do?
Every few years a refinery or chemical plant shuts down a unit for a turnaround, a planned stop for inspection, cleaning, repairs and new equipment. A typical task: define and freeze the scope of work for planned shutdowns. 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 a Turnaround 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 1,731 careers in the bank.