Salary guide, May 2025
Operations Manager pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Industrial Production Managers in the United States was $126,060 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $98,160 and $161,880.
Also searched as: Plant Operations Manager, Manufacturing Operations Manager. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 11-3051 Industrial Production Managers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $78,000 | $98,160 | $126,060 | $161,880 | $205,520 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $37.50 | $47.19 | $60.61 | $77.83 | $98.81 |
BLS estimated 246,250 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-3051 Industrial Production Managers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $120,090 | $86,300 to $164,900 | 2,300 | 0.51 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $119,360 | $84,210 to $160,800 | 1,550 | 0.68 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $121,840 | $89,090 to $166,420 | 1,050 | 0.47 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $130,120 | $97,770 to $164,810 | 1,010 | 0.86 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $151,630 | $117,020 to $178,570 | 7,220 | 0.48 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $151,630 | $117,020 to $178,570 | 7,220 | 0.48 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $132,990 | $98,770 to $171,080 | 5,890 | 0.92 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $129,840 | $103,990 to $165,090 | 8,850 | 1.24 |
Rank every metro for Operations Manager
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$155,730
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$135,530
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$133,830
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$131,510
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$130,480
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$129,500
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$128,300
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$127,420
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$127,140
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$124,850
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$118,960
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$116,250
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$109,920
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$107,810
- Printing and Related Support Activities (NAICS 323000)$104,240
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 185,250 | $98,370 | $125,280 | $159,150 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 25,800 | $104,500 | $131,510 | $162,800 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 23,450 | $90,010 | $109,920 | $138,480 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 21,440 | $106,190 | $135,530 | $169,170 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 19,440 | $95,170 | $116,250 | $148,320 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 17,600 | $98,400 | $124,850 | $156,920 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 12,170 | $104,940 | $133,830 | $171,590 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 11,450 | $96,720 | $118,960 | $145,370 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 11,250 | $98,450 | $124,790 | $155,830 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 9,620 | $96,550 | $117,930 | $142,340 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 9,520 | $124,810 | $140,800 | $169,400 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 9,340 | $107,310 | $139,500 | $172,510 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 8,080 | $116,550 | $138,990 | $169,920 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 7,960 | $96,560 | $119,690 | $149,230 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 7,960 | $99,800 | $124,910 | $143,850 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 7,820 | $99,010 | $128,300 | $164,320 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 6,940 | $88,100 | $107,810 | $137,940 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 6,690 | $93,950 | $114,900 | $140,350 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 6,640 | $100,720 | $129,500 | $161,330 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 6,260 | $99,380 | $127,140 | $161,060 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 6,210 | $84,420 | $105,370 | $134,470 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 6,010 | $102,000 | $127,420 | $164,710 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 5,650 | $110,400 | $135,490 | $173,780 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 4,750 | $80,030 | $101,510 | $129,620 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 4,720 | $104,010 | $135,190 | $171,590 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 4,630 | $83,940 | $103,660 | $134,740 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 4,580 | $97,660 | $122,280 | $150,980 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 4,480 | $108,750 | $135,850 | $172,360 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 4,390 | $100,130 | $131,560 | $165,450 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 4,200 | $99,300 | $119,820 | $150,790 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 4,010 | $98,820 | $124,440 | $157,780 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 3,730 | $82,840 | $104,240 | $131,880 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 3,730 | $82,840 | $104,240 | $131,880 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 3,640 | $90,990 | $112,850 | $147,090 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 3,340 | $82,870 | $107,730 | $137,700 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 3,140 | $82,770 | $103,250 | $134,010 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 2,980 | $93,550 | $109,790 | $136,320 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 2,840 | $82,580 | $103,230 | $133,630 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 2,760 | $77,930 | $98,860 | $125,740 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 2,750 | $88,190 | $109,640 | $137,820 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 2,720 | $100,300 | $129,200 | $161,690 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 2,710 | $101,850 | $130,480 | $166,040 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,650 | $114,730 | $155,730 | $174,110 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,650 | $114,730 | $155,730 | $174,110 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 2,600 | $80,590 | $102,030 | $127,720 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 2,450 | $99,890 | $130,100 | $165,580 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 2,420 | $100,010 | $123,960 | $155,080 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 2,310 | $104,000 | $131,970 | $165,250 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 2,230 | $96,430 | $119,590 | $146,490 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 2,180 | $107,140 | $135,300 | $176,080 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 2,060 | $128,610 | $139,030 | $171,120 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 1,830 | $97,400 | $123,430 | $154,350 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 1,820 | $96,830 | $118,220 | $137,500 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 1,810 | $93,860 | $104,400 | $128,970 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 1,720 | $93,120 | $112,700 | $142,080 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 1,580 | $87,090 | $112,130 | $134,040 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 1,520 | $121,640 | $145,280 | $207,820 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 1,340 | $101,600 | $126,570 | $164,590 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 1,250 | $83,270 | $102,070 | $135,120 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 1,190 | $96,450 | $123,440 | $160,260 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,150 | $80,180 | $100,730 | $129,730 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 1,140 | $100,890 | $127,450 | $163,410 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 1,010 | $100,900 | $125,940 | $156,800 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 980 | $79,580 | $101,670 | $136,960 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 930 | $81,750 | $118,380 | $155,350 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 890 | $104,530 | $131,300 | $165,050 |
| 321100 · 4-digit | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 840 | $95,360 | $121,560 | $143,900 |
| 315000 · 3-digit | Apparel Manufacturing | 810 | $75,880 | $98,720 | $136,410 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 760 | $102,320 | $125,530 | $155,360 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 760 | $92,270 | $126,780 | $170,350 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 740 | $82,170 | $104,030 | $137,730 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 710 | $93,260 | $105,140 | $128,430 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 690 | $80,150 | $105,880 | $140,240 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 680 | $74,720 | $97,070 | $128,960 |
| 315200 · 4-digit | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 570 | $75,290 | $98,710 | $138,000 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 520 | $86,660 | $111,270 | $143,240 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 470 | $84,940 | $111,130 | $147,630 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 390 | $103,820 | $118,170 | $135,280 |
| 313300 · 4-digit | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 320 | $83,910 | $94,480 | $129,990 |
| 311700 · 4-digit | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 300 | $81,630 | $104,270 | $137,390 |
| 314100 · 4-digit | Textile Furnishings Mills | 300 | $95,220 | $122,520 | $146,210 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 300 | $84,410 | $104,380 | $135,230 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 270 | $111,280 | $138,300 | $174,020 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 250 | $84,150 | $123,250 | $158,980 |
| 316000 · 3-digit | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 220 | $77,090 | $99,800 | $131,740 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 220 | $82,370 | $114,560 | $137,020 |
| 313100 · 4-digit | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 190 | $89,700 | $100,820 | $125,840 |
| 315900 · 4-digit | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 180 | $79,150 | $99,230 | $124,890 |
| 316900 · 4-digit | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 110 | $71,920 | $90,990 | $130,520 |
| 334600 · 4-digit | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 100 | $82,560 | $126,730 | $185,000 |
| 316200 · 4-digit | Footwear Manufacturing | 70 | $94,960 | $104,090 | $136,190 |
| 315100 · 4-digit | Apparel Knitting Mills | 50 | $76,600 | $94,230 | $132,750 |
| 316100 · 4-digit | Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing | 40 | $79,410 | $91,090 | $143,360 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Operations Manager, separate the guaranteed salary from any discretionary bonus or commission arrangement. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $94,620 | $121,440 | $156,330 |
| May 2025 | $98,160 | $126,060 | $161,880 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about hiring mistakes?
Employers often hire an operations manager to fix a people problem and screen only for technical skill. If turnover is the issue, ask the candidate for their retention numbers and how they run a daily meeting. The second mistake is hiring from a much larger company where support functions did the planning.
The candidate then discovers there is no planner, no maintenance planner and no HR business partner.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Operations Manager?
The median annual wage for Industrial Production Managers in the United States was $126,060 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $98,160 and $161,880. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $78,000. 90% earned less than $205,520.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Operations Manager at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 246,250 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Operations Managers in manufacturing are tracked under the Industrial Production Managers SOC with a national median of $126,060. For Operations Manager in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $126,060; the May 2024 median is $121,440. Their arithmetic difference is $4,620.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. Manufacturing Headhunters highlights that this data includes all levels of industrial management, so hiring managers must calibrate their offers based on the degree of KPI oversight, such as scrap rates and OEE, rather than just the title itself. National industry rows, notably the $155,730 median in Petroleum and Coal Products, suggest that sectors with higher industrial complexity will necessitate pay packages that significantly exceed the national median of $126,060.
Metros such as Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim ($128,540) and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin ($129,840) represent the highest employment densities for this category. These data points provide a starting point for assessing local labor market conditions. For Operations Manager in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. Because the SOC is broad, it covers both small-team leads and large-scale plant controllers. Consequently, the middle band width of $63,720 is the most practical tool for mapping your specific candidate's expected compensation. For Operations Manager in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $98,160 to $161,880 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
How should I measure an candidate's 'lean' experience against this data?
The BLS data does not explicitly measure 'lean' capability. However, candidates with advanced lean deployment and KPI ownership experience should be slotted toward the P75 or P90 percentiles of the middle band.
What can I conclude from the two release estimates?
It serves as a verified indicator of current market inflation for production management talent. Using this figure helps keep your compensation package in line with the latest official reporting.
Is the median of $126,060 enough to attract proven managers?
For most proven roles, the median is only a baseline. You should benchmark against the industrial-specific rows or the P75 percentile of $161,880 for managers with a proven track record.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4