Management · Career brief

Industrial Production Managers

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Industrial Production Managers at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$126,060

Very high national median pay

2025 national median. Top 10% for pay among careers on ChooseField.

2Demand

2.6%

Slow projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Near the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.

3Openings

17,000

Lots of annual openings

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Top quarter for openings among careers on ChooseField.

4Route in

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is typically expected

Bachelor's degree + related experience. Related work experience is typically required.

5The work

Persuasive / leading

Influence, decisions, and results matter

Set and monitor product standards, examining samples of raw products or directing testing during processing, to ensure finished products are of prescribed quality.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

ChooseField take

The strongest national signals are pay and opening volume; each ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if persuasive or leadership-oriented work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a bachelor's-degree path. Main tradeoff: BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

Before choosing, compare:General and Operations Managers Compensation and Benefits Managers Human Resources Managers

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Industrial Production Managers with another field Explore rankings in Management Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$126,060

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

2.6%employment growth17,000openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or more

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

252,100

Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Industrial production managers (11-3051).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

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 operations and confer with technical or administrative staff to resolve production or processing problems.
Hire, train, evaluate, or discharge staff or resolve personnel grievances.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Getting Information4.5
Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.4
Working with Computers4.3
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.2
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.2

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Enterprising6.0
Conventional5.2
Realistic4.0
Investigative2.9
Social1.9
Artistic1.4

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Production and Processing Mathematics Personnel and Human Resources Mechanical

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Work through a realistic case with incomplete information: make a recommendation, show the numbers behind it, and defend the tradeoffs.
Ask someone doing this job which feeder role built the required experience, what that earlier job paid, and how long the transition actually took.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Industrial production managers nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Speaking among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

Prior related experience: 5 years or more. Look for the preceding roles and promotion route before treating this as a first job.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options