How much does a factory manager make?

In the US, pay can vary with experience, responsibility for a whole plant versus one area, and the manufacturing industry and location. Some jobs require on-call nights or weekends; optional quality or management certificates can show skills, but they are not required.

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

What's a typical day like?

They check production schedules and reports, then walk the factory floor to see if workers and machines are safe and on target. They adjust people or equipment, solve quality problems, and keep work on schedule and within budget.

In the US, factory managers often earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering or business and gain years of factory experience. Some start as production workers and advance to supervisor jobs; quality or management certificates are optional.

Usually a bachelor's degree (preparation level 4 of 5)

Good for people who like leading and selling and keeping things organized.

A factory manager can play product detective: if a part causes a defect, they may trace it to an outside supplier and work with them to fix it.