Salary guide tool
Compare up to 3 roles or metros
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.
Side by side on one shared axis, with identical-occupation notices. Results show on screen without an email. The email get the PDF only. Your inputs stay in your browser until you request the PDF.
CEO / President (Manufacturing), United States
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $75,700 | $129,540 | $213,990 | $356,200 | $507,730 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $36.39 | $62.28 | $102.88 | $171.25 | $244.10 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-1011 Chief Executives, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
Public BLS data (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025) plus your own inputs. No estimates, projections or benchmarks are added. Methodology
How do you compare seats without mixing their duties?
Manufacturing Headhunters built this comparison view for employers weighing different occupations, locations or both. Give each slot a role and an area. Keep the selected mappings visible while reading across the table. Identical numbers can be correct when two plant titles resolve to the same SOC; the tool does not manufacture separate estimates to make the comparison look more detailed.
Choose a question before filling the slots. You might be comparing an engineer and technician in the same destination market, or one occupation across possible plant sites. Mixing those questions without a clear brief can make a wage difference look like a geography effect when it also reflects different responsibilities. The title, occupation and area labels help keep the distinction in view.
The shared chart axis makes the released wage bands comparable in scale. A longer band shows a wider published spread, not a larger guaranteed opportunity for negotiation. Look at the table twin when a label is hard to read or an endpoint is not an exact figure. A top-coded cell remains a boundary, and a suppressed cell stays unpublished.
Employment and concentration add context but do not rank candidate quality. A market with more reported workers may offer a broader source pool. It does not tell you how many have your control platform, cleanroom habits or willingness to change shifts. Treat those measures as questions for market mapping rather than a count of people available for interview.
If you share the comparison with a budget owner, include the actual areas used and the mapping notes. A fallback estimate must remain visible after copying the link or saving a report. Finish by writing what the plant expects each hire to decide independently. That scope will often explain why two titles need different offers even when public data places them in the same occupation.
Why do different titles sometimes produce matching comparison columns?
BLS collects wages under occupational classifications rather than every employer's title. When the mappings and areas are identical, the source rows are identical too. Use the duty differences to frame your search instead of reading those matching columns as proof that the jobs are interchangeable.
offer checker · pay range · metros · states
How should you read salary tool compare?
S. has a published annual median of $105,770 for 2025-05. This is an occupation estimate across employers, not a quoted starting rate for your opening. Read the occupation name with the amount. A narrower plant title does not turn a broader BLS occupation into a separately measured job.
salary tool compare: Director of Manufacturing, mapped to General and Operations Managers (11-1021), in U.S. has a published annual median of $105,770 for 2025-05. This is an occupation estimate across employers, not a quoted starting rate for your opening. Read the occupation name with the amount. A narrower plant title does not turn a broader BLS occupation into a separately measured job.
For the same salary tool compare: Director of Manufacturing, mapped to General and Operations Managers (11-1021), in U.S. row, the published lower quartile is $72,320 and the upper quartile is $167,280. These are wage distribution points, not junior and senior job grades. A person’s equipment knowledge, shift requirements and actual duties still need a separate discussion. A missing percentile stays missing rather than being filled from another occupation.
The salary tool compare: Director of Manufacturing, mapped to General and Operations Managers (11-1021), in U.S. employment estimate is 3,503,020. Employment describes people already working in the measured occupation and area. It does not count available applicants, people willing to move or candidates interested in your plant. Keep that distinction when using this salary tool compare to plan a search or discuss an offer with a hiring manager.
salary tool compare: Sanitation Lead, mapped to Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners (37-2011), in U.S. has a published annual median of $36,840 for 2025-05. This is an occupation estimate across employers, not a quoted starting rate for your opening. Read the occupation name with the amount. A narrower plant title does not turn a broader BLS occupation into a separately measured job.
For the same salary tool compare: Sanitation Lead, mapped to Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners (37-2011), in U.S. row, the published lower quartile is $32,240 and the upper quartile is $44,060. These are wage distribution points, not junior and senior job grades. A person’s equipment knowledge, shift requirements and actual duties still need a separate discussion. A missing percentile stays missing rather than being filled from another occupation.
The salary tool compare: Sanitation Lead, mapped to Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners (37-2011), in U.S. employment estimate is 2,209,760. Employment describes people already working in the measured occupation and area. It does not count available applicants, people willing to move or candidates interested in your plant. Keep that distinction when using this salary tool compare to plan a search or discuss an offer with a hiring manager.
salary tool compare: Firmware / Embedded Engineer, mapped to Software Developers (15-1252), in U.S. has a published annual median of $135,980 for 2025-05. This is an occupation estimate across employers, not a quoted starting rate for your opening. Read the occupation name with the amount. A narrower plant title does not turn a broader BLS occupation into a separately measured job.
For the same salary tool compare: Firmware / Embedded Engineer, mapped to Software Developers (15-1252), in U.S. row, the published lower quartile is $105,210 and the upper quartile is $171,980. These are wage distribution points, not junior and senior job grades. A person’s equipment knowledge, shift requirements and actual duties still need a separate discussion. A missing percentile stays missing rather than being filled from another occupation.
The salary tool compare: Firmware / Embedded Engineer, mapped to Software Developers (15-1252), in U.S. employment estimate is 1,687,890. Employment describes people already working in the measured occupation and area. It does not count available applicants, people willing to move or candidates interested in your plant. Keep that distinction when using this salary tool compare to plan a search or discuss an offer with a hiring manager.
Which questions matter for salary tool compare?
S. has a published annual median of $105,770 for 2025-05. This is an occupation estimate across employers, not a quoted starting rate for your opening. Read the occupation name with the amount. A narrower plant title does not turn a broader BLS occupation into a separately measured job.
Does salary tool compare give an exact offer for my plant?
salary tool compare: Director of Manufacturing, mapped to General and Operations Managers (11-1021), in U.S. has a published annual median of $105,770 for 2025-05. This is an occupation estimate across employers, not a quoted starting rate for your opening. Read the occupation name with the amount. A narrower plant title does not turn a broader BLS occupation into a separately measured job.
What does the wage band in salary tool compare describe?
For the same salary tool compare: Director of Manufacturing, mapped to General and Operations Managers (11-1021), in U.S. row, the published lower quartile is $72,320 and the upper quartile is $167,280. These are wage distribution points, not junior and senior job grades. A person’s equipment knowledge, shift requirements and actual duties still need a separate discussion. A missing percentile stays missing rather than being filled from another occupation.
Does the employment figure in salary tool compare measure available candidates?
The salary tool compare: Director of Manufacturing, mapped to General and Operations Managers (11-1021), in U.S. employment estimate is 3,503,020. Employment describes people already working in the measured occupation and area. It does not count available applicants, people willing to move or candidates interested in your plant. Keep that distinction when using this salary tool compare to plan a search or discuss an offer with a hiring manager.
Director of Manufacturing source figures · Sanitation Lead source figures · Firmware / Embedded Engineer source figures · Methodology