How To Become An Industrial Production Manager
Runs a manufacturing plant or production line: schedules, staffing, quality standards and the problems that stop the line.
Industrial Production Manager Salary Data
Industrial Production Manager Salary: What BLS Data Shows
Industrial production managers, who run manufacturing plants and production lines, earn a median of $126,060 a year across 246,250 jobs (May 2025).
By the Supply Chain Degree Programs editorial team Updated
The Pay Figures At A Glance
- The median is $126,060. That is for industrial production managers; the average is $134,170.
- The 10th to 90th percentiles run $78,000 to $205,520. Hourly, the median works out to $60.61.
- Delaware pays the highest state median, $153,000. Iowa pays the lowest, $106,510.
- The best-paying industry has a median of $176,260. The best-paying metro is Manchester-Nashua, NH, at $174,360.
- Projected change through 2035: 2.6%. Annual openings: about 17,000.
How Much Does An Industrial Production Manager Make?
Half of all industrial production managers earn more than $126,060 a year and half earn less. The average, $134,170, sits above the median, and the full range runs from $78,000 at the 10th percentile to $205,520 at the 90th. On an hourly basis the median works out to $60.61.
The middle half of the occupation earns between $98,160 and $161,880, a gap of $63,720. The sections below show how far location, industry and employer type each move the number.
| Percentile | Annual Pay |
|---|---|
| 10th | $78,000 |
| 25th | $98,160 |
| Median | $126,060 |
| 75th | $161,880 |
| 90th | $205,520 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, industrial production managers, national. Industrial production managers run manufacturing plants and production lines. BLS publishes one wage for the whole occupation. Read 2026-09-23.
Plant Manager And Production Manager Pay Are This Figure
Industrial production managers is the occupation where plant and production management sits. O*NET's sample titles include area plant manager, assembly manager, general production manager, manufacturing coordinator, manufacturing manager and plant manager, so a plant manager salary and a production manager salary are both this occupation's figure.
The industries employing the most of them are machinery manufacturing, plastics product manufacturing and aerospace product and parts manufacturing. What the plant makes moves the pay more than the title does: among the ten best-paying industries with at least a thousand jobs, the medians alone span $37,230.
Industrial Production Manager Salary By State
17 of the 50 states in the table pay a median above the national $126,060. Delaware has the highest median, $153,000, on 370 jobs. Among states with at least 5,000 jobs in the occupation, New Jersey leads at $147,260. The lowest state median is $106,510, in Iowa, so the top and bottom states sit $46,490 apart.
The biggest markets are California, with 25,130 jobs and a median of $132,620, and Texas, with 21,200 jobs at $130,890. BLS withholds the wage estimate for one state in this occupation, so the table has 50 rows.
| State | Median | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $153,000 | $99,770 | $214,960 | 370 |
| Wyoming | $151,490 | $99,980 | $201,180 | 390 |
| Massachusetts | $148,050 | $99,920 | $227,080 | 4,470 |
| New Jersey | $147,260 | $91,410 | $218,150 | 6,780 |
| New Hampshire | $146,590 | $92,570 | $218,800 | 1,540 |
| Washington | $145,210 | $112,970 | $213,930 | 4,760 |
| Colorado | $141,020 | $86,460 | $230,410 | 1,730 |
| Connecticut | $134,780 | $91,360 | $202,560 | 3,360 |
| Louisiana | $133,210 | $79,350 | $213,350 | 2,680 |
| California | $132,620 | $80,950 | $222,020 | 25,130 |
| Maryland | $132,540 | $78,760 | $213,100 | 2,480 |
| Texas | $130,890 | $79,780 | $207,880 | 21,200 |
| New York | $130,470 | $81,960 | $206,450 | 6,630 |
| Virginia | $128,230 | $83,390 | $206,820 | 2,570 |
| Georgia | $127,820 | $75,720 | $194,480 | 5,510 |
| Illinois | $127,270 | $82,900 | $205,310 | 11,570 |
| South Carolina | $126,880 | $80,510 | $204,910 | 6,390 |
| North Carolina | $125,940 | $77,130 | $206,310 | 9,640 |
| Kansas | $125,750 | $82,340 | $203,680 | 2,420 |
| Arizona | $124,810 | $79,410 | $199,440 | 3,630 |
| Maine | $124,810 | $83,540 | $188,710 | 800 |
| New Mexico | $124,670 | $74,910 | $216,390 | 670 |
| Hawaii | $124,650 | $74,880 | $199,670 | 130 |
| District of Columbia | $124,420 | $97,220 | $202,030 | 50 |
| Rhode Island | $124,120 | $79,660 | $192,120 | 940 |
| Minnesota | $123,580 | $79,020 | $218,510 | 5,080 |
| Alabama | $122,520 | $69,560 | $204,050 | 3,620 |
| Indiana | $121,500 | $78,410 | $207,820 | 9,400 |
| Montana | $120,690 | $79,990 | $182,400 | 270 |
| Michigan | $120,660 | $77,110 | $182,060 | 14,320 |
| Oklahoma | $120,570 | $69,990 | $185,730 | 2,140 |
| Florida | $119,870 | $66,250 | $212,910 | 9,480 |
| Tennessee | $119,430 | $74,980 | $198,520 | 6,310 |
| Oregon | $119,420 | $75,190 | $182,270 | 3,150 |
| Mississippi | $118,660 | $70,810 | $187,620 | 2,290 |
| Arkansas | $118,120 | $74,970 | $201,560 | 2,560 |
| Missouri | $117,660 | $71,840 | $183,200 | 4,110 |
| North Dakota | $116,050 | $76,180 | $181,530 | 490 |
| Utah | $115,290 | $73,740 | $189,080 | 2,590 |
| Vermont | $114,150 | $78,710 | $175,390 | 480 |
| Alaska | $113,280 | $70,640 | $175,600 | 410 |
| Nevada | $112,270 | $75,650 | $187,220 | 1,620 |
| Kentucky | $112,250 | $73,530 | $187,950 | 6,430 |
| West Virginia | $111,760 | $79,500 | $175,070 | 1,000 |
| Ohio | $109,340 | $73,180 | $171,100 | 14,290 |
| Pennsylvania | $109,140 | $71,950 | $180,750 | 10,200 |
| South Dakota | $107,490 | $82,620 | $162,240 | 720 |
| Idaho | $107,340 | $69,100 | $175,140 | 1,210 |
| Nebraska | $107,200 | $75,110 | $171,240 | 2,160 |
| Iowa | $106,510 | $74,830 | $171,910 | 3,620 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, by state, sorted by median. Read 2026-09-23.
Industrial Production Manager Salary By Metro Area
BLS publishes a median for industrial production managers in 374 metropolitan areas, and 87 of them have at least 500 jobs in the occupation, enough for the median to describe a real local market. Among those, Manchester-Nashua, NH pays the most, at $174,360, followed by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $171,140.
| Metro Area | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | $174,360 | 700 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $171,140 | 2,210 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $164,420 | 2,990 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $153,210 | 3,500 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $151,630 | 7,220 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $151,580 | 3,400 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $150,860 | 550 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $148,440 | 580 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $147,980 | 580 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $146,460 | 830 |
The largest markets are a different list. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA has the most jobs, 9,120, at a median of $128,540, and the five biggest metros together hold 37,200 jobs, 15% of the occupation. The metros where the occupation is most concentrated relative to the local workforce are Elkhart-Goshen, IN (location quotient 4.57), Appleton, WI (location quotient 2.72) and Spartanburg, SC (location quotient 2.67).
Treat the metro figures as nominal pay. OEWS wages are not adjusted for local living costs, so a high median in an expensive metro and a lower one in a cheaper metro can leave a worker with similar purchasing power. Housing and other costs vary enough between metros that the ranking above is a ranking of paychecks, not of standards of living.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan area estimates. Ranked only among metros with at least 500 jobs in the occupation. A location quotient compares the occupation's share of local jobs with its share of jobs nationally. Read 2026-09-24.
Top-Paying Industries For Industrial Production Managers
BLS publishes the occupation's pay in 166 industries. Among those employing at least 1,000 industrial production managers, the highest median is in scientific research and development services, at $176,260, which is $50,200 above the national figure.
| Industry | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $176,260 | 4,060 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $168,630 | 2,620 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $162,760 | 7,120 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $155,730 | 2,650 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $152,400 | 1,040 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $149,750 | 1,680 |
Where The Jobs Are, And Where The Pay Is
The industries that pay the most are mostly not the ones that hire the most. The six top-paying industries above employ 19,170 industrial production managers between them, 8% of the occupation. The five largest employers hold 47,810, or 19%. No industry appears on both lists.
| Largest Employers | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Machinery Manufacturing | 11,250 | $124,790 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing | 9,620 | $117,930 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 9,520 | $140,800 |
| Chemical Manufacturing | 9,340 | $139,500 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 8,080 | $138,990 |
The single largest employer, machinery manufacturing, pays a median of $124,790. That is $51,470 below the top-paying industry, which is the practical trade-off: most of the jobs sit in the big employers, and the highest pay sits in industries with far fewer of them.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific estimates, by industry. Each figure is the median for industrial production managers working in that industry. Top-paying industries are ranked only among those with at least 1,000 jobs in the occupation. Read 2026-09-23.
What Moves Industrial Production Manager Pay
Almost all of these managers work in manufacturing, and what the plant makes moves pay more than the title does. The Handbook also notes that the role ranges from overseeing a whole plant to overseeing one area of production.
Employer Type
Industrial production managers at private employers earn a median of $126,040, and private employers hold 99% of the occupation's jobs. Among government employers, the federal government pays the highest median, $166,280, which is $40,240 above private pay.
| Employer | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Private employers | $126,040 | 243,020 |
| Federal government | $166,280 | 210 |
| State government | $97,410 | 370 |
| Local government | $128,720 | 2,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national ownership estimates. State and local government include their schools and hospitals, and the federal row includes the Postal Service, as BLS defines them.
Location
The top and bottom states sit $46,490 apart at the median. Among metros with at least 500 jobs, the gap between the highest and lowest median is $70,180, wider than the state gap. Neither figure is adjusted for living costs.
Degree Level
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education for industrial production managers, with 5 years or more of related work experience. That is an entry requirement, not a pay effect: the wage survey measures occupations, not degrees. For what a degree costs, see the rankings of bachelor’s in supply chain management and MBA in supply chain management.
Certification
The certifications that fit this work, and what each one requires, are covered in the industrial production manager career guide.
How Industrial Production Manager Pay Compares With Other Supply Chain Jobs
A supply chain degree leads to more than one occupation, and they don't pay the same. Of the 9 BLS occupations below, industrial production managers have the second-highest median. The highest is purchasing managers, at $148,080.
| Occupation | Median | 10th To 90th | Typical Entry | Growth 2025-35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchasing Managers | $148,080 | $92,490 to $223,280 | Bachelor's degreeplus 5 years or more experience | 4% |
| Industrial Production Managers | $126,060 | $78,000 to $205,520 | Bachelor's degreeplus 5 years or more experience | 2.6% |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $107,230 | $65,120 to $194,900 | High school diploma or equivalentplus 5 years or more experience | 6.1% |
| Operations Research Analysts | $88,940 | $57,060 to $159,910 | Bachelor's degree | 11.9% |
| Logisticians | $82,320 | $50,890 to $133,160 | Bachelor's degree | 17.6% |
| Compliance Officers | $80,730 | $48,220 to $133,720 | Bachelor's degree | 3.8% |
| Buyers and Purchasing Agents | $77,710 | $48,380 to $128,870 | Bachelor's degree | 6% |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | $59,650 | $40,080 to $86,000 | High school diploma or equivalent | -1.3% |
| Cargo and Freight Agents | $52,260 | $38,340 to $79,810 | High school diploma or equivalent | 6.2% |
The spread follows seniority more than subject. The 3 highest medians belong to the 3 management occupations, and BLS says each of them typically needs 5 years or more of related work experience to enter. The other 6 are specialist occupations that BLS lists with no experience requirement at entry. The management jobs are also the ones the specialists move into: buyers become purchasing managers, and logisticians become supply chain managers, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Sources: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (pay); BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 (growth); EP Table 1.2 (typical entry education and experience).
Job Outlook For Industrial Production Managers
BLS projects employment of industrial production managers to grow from 252,100 to 258,600 over 2025 to 2035, a change of 2.6%. That's slower than the 3.5% projected for all occupations.
Growth is the smaller part of the hiring. BLS expects about 17,000 openings a year, and it splits them three ways: people leaving the labor force, mostly to retire; people moving into a different occupation; and new jobs from growth.
| Source Of Openings, Per Year | Openings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Workers leaving the labor force | 5,300 | 31% |
| Workers moving to other occupations | 11,100 | 65% |
| New jobs from growth | 700 | 4% |
| Total openings | 17,000 | 100% |
Replacement demand dominates: 96% of openings come from people leaving the occupation, not from new positions. Transfers outnumber retirements, so more of the openings come from industrial production managers moving on to other jobs than from people leaving work. Each year BLS expects 6.4% of the occupation to leave it, against 9.7% across all occupations. About 2.4% of workers in the occupation are self-employed, which is why EP's employment count runs higher than OEWS's.
What Drives Demand
The Handbook expects plant managers to keep being needed across manufacturing, but says that in industries where employment is declining, fewer may be needed.
Sources: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35; EP tables 1.10 (separations and openings) and 1.12 (factors affecting occupational utilization). The growth row is total openings minus separations. Read 2026-09-23.
Does A Supply Chain Degree Raise Your Salary?
BLS reports what an occupation pays, not what a degree pays, so there's no federal figure for "industrial production manager salary with a master's." Use the numbers above as the pay for the job you're aiming at. A degree matters to the extent that it gets you hired into the occupation, or promoted within it.
Cost is the part of a degree you can pin down. These rankings list tuition read from each school’s own page, so you can set a real price against the salary range here: bachelor’s in supply chain management and MBA in supply chain management.
FAQ
How Much Does An Industrial Production Manager Make?
The median is $126,060 a year for industrial production managers, the BLS occupation behind this page (May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $98,160 and $161,880.
What Is The Hourly Pay For Industrial Production Managers?
The median hourly wage for industrial production managers is $60.61 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How Much Do The Top-Paid Industrial Production Managers Make?
The 90th percentile for industrial production managers is $205,520 a year, so one in ten earns more than that. The 75th percentile is $161,880.
Which State Pays Industrial Production Managers The Most?
Delaware has the highest state median, $153,000, on 370 jobs. Among states with at least 5,000 jobs in the occupation, New Jersey is highest at $147,260.
Which City Pays Industrial Production Managers The Most?
Among metro areas with at least 500 jobs in the occupation, Manchester-Nashua, NH has the highest median, $174,360. The figure is not adjusted for living costs.
Which Industry Pays Industrial Production Managers The Most?
Among industries employing at least 1,000 industrial production managers, scientific research and development services pays the highest median, $176,260.
Do Government Industrial Production Managers Earn More Than Private-Sector Ones?
Industrial production managers in the federal government earn a median of $166,280, against $126,040 at private employers (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Federal pay is higher at the median, but 99% of the occupation works for private employers.
Is The Industrial Production Manager Job Market Growing?
BLS projects employment of industrial production managers to grow 2.6% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 17,000 openings a year.
How Much Does A Plant Manager Make?
O*NET lists plant manager as a title within industrial production managers, whose median is $126,060 (May 2025). The figure covers the whole occupation.
Keep Reading
Bachelor’s In Supply Chain Management, Ranked
Programs read from each school’s own page, with tuition where the school states it.
MBA In Supply Chain Management, Ranked
Programs read from each school’s own page, with tuition where the school states it.
All Supply Chain Salaries
The 9 BLS occupations behind supply chain work, side by side.
Sources
- 1 BLS OEWS, May 2025: Industrial Production Managers (SOC 11-3051), national and state profile Read .
- 2 BLS OEWS, May 2025: metropolitan area estimates Read .
- 3 BLS OEWS, May 2025: national industry-specific and ownership estimates Read .
- 4 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics home
- 5 BLS Employment Projections, National Employment Matrix, 2025-35 Read .
- 6 BLS Employment Projections, occupation tables 1.2, 1.10 and 1.12, 2025-35 Read .
- 7 O*NET OnLine, 11-3051.00 Industrial Production Managers Read .