Salary guide, May 2025
VP of Operational Excellence 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 Engineers in the United States was $102,440 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $83,600 and $129,250.
Broader occupation · SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $74,370 | $83,600 | $102,440 | $129,250 | $159,860 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35.76 | $40.19 | $49.25 | $62.14 | $76.85 |
BLS estimated 365,740 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers, 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 | $103,740 | $81,810 to $129,150 | 3,360 | 0.51 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $100,670 | $78,520 to $123,830 | 2,090 | 0.61 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $104,920 | $85,800 to $127,450 | 2,040 | 0.61 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $104,030 | $83,240 to $130,220 | 1,710 | 0.98 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,840 | $93,100 to $130,260 | 8,540 | 0.38 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,840 | $93,100 to $130,260 | 8,540 | 0.38 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $105,640 | $93,020 to $132,830 | 10,680 | 1.12 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $101,760 | $82,260 to $126,580 | 12,750 | 1.2 |
Rank every metro for VP of Operational Excellence
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)$127,140
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$105,450
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$105,380
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$105,370
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$102,830
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$102,390
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$101,920
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$101,150
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$99,070
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$99,030
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$98,870
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$97,790
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$96,770
- Textile Mills (NAICS 313000)$94,390
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$93,170
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 | 248,860 | $82,290 | $101,160 | $126,660 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 55,900 | $85,080 | $102,390 | $127,250 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 41,320 | $86,770 | $105,370 | $133,290 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 28,010 | $81,650 | $99,070 | $121,540 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 25,680 | $98,350 | $107,170 | $131,930 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 23,290 | $93,530 | $105,450 | $130,730 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 22,640 | $77,900 | $93,170 | $104,250 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 20,060 | $88,940 | $108,110 | $140,790 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 18,550 | $82,840 | $101,920 | $128,760 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 18,200 | $81,880 | $98,830 | $120,590 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 17,250 | $79,550 | $96,890 | $106,770 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 16,880 | $91,760 | $104,840 | $130,890 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 15,540 | $85,110 | $102,810 | $129,190 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 14,900 | $79,420 | $96,770 | $107,790 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 12,400 | $78,950 | $97,790 | $110,760 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 11,950 | $79,330 | $96,620 | $106,940 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 11,710 | $92,180 | $104,110 | $129,470 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 11,340 | $78,320 | $94,370 | $104,900 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 9,150 | $97,950 | $118,700 | $136,120 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 8,140 | $95,070 | $106,340 | $128,140 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 6,910 | $79,730 | $99,030 | $117,390 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 6,260 | $84,130 | $102,830 | $126,540 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 5,560 | $85,060 | $101,150 | $129,380 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 5,400 | $79,760 | $98,920 | $119,880 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 5,360 | $76,350 | $90,070 | $104,100 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 4,990 | $77,510 | $92,670 | $103,570 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 4,970 | $78,360 | $98,200 | $108,050 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 4,570 | $95,870 | $103,340 | $128,710 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 3,390 | $65,840 | $79,040 | $99,530 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 3,310 | $65,800 | $78,990 | $99,530 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 3,220 | $79,890 | $97,680 | $124,910 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 3,140 | $77,720 | $90,920 | $105,490 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 3,070 | $76,660 | $89,610 | $102,790 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 3,010 | $77,480 | $93,810 | $106,220 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 2,950 | $79,660 | $98,320 | $116,500 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 2,940 | $82,140 | $98,870 | $119,810 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 2,440 | $78,970 | $96,820 | $106,910 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 2,430 | $81,020 | $98,130 | $116,950 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 2,340 | $93,660 | $108,170 | $133,940 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 2,170 | $64,520 | $99,540 | $137,030 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 2,100 | $78,710 | $96,750 | $110,110 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,020 | $106,610 | $127,140 | $152,940 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,020 | $106,610 | $127,140 | $152,940 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 1,920 | $79,080 | $95,820 | $105,900 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 1,820 | $83,310 | $102,600 | $129,960 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 1,550 | $80,730 | $100,410 | $131,930 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 1,540 | $85,170 | $103,250 | $125,920 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,520 | $79,310 | $95,010 | $106,660 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 1,390 | $79,340 | $93,460 | $102,770 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,320 | $74,810 | $91,780 | $108,710 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 1,300 | $83,780 | $103,280 | $126,590 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 1,290 | $64,770 | $94,540 | $110,070 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 1,170 | $79,710 | $98,790 | $105,140 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 1,070 | $78,750 | $94,390 | $108,780 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 1,040 | $93,820 | $105,380 | $128,570 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 990 | $81,230 | $99,970 | $117,710 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 950 | $74,450 | $91,110 | $103,750 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 930 | $94,260 | $104,530 | $127,430 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 930 | $72,470 | $89,520 | $107,990 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 890 | $92,480 | $105,450 | $128,810 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 890 | $81,650 | $101,620 | $125,780 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 830 | $83,690 | $104,160 | $126,870 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 740 | $83,680 | $99,410 | $123,200 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 740 | $79,030 | $101,350 | $123,200 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 720 | $80,490 | $91,170 | $107,250 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 680 | $84,550 | $105,680 | $135,780 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 650 | $78,270 | $93,070 | $107,250 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 650 | $78,270 | $93,070 | $107,250 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 590 | $79,800 | $96,140 | $112,340 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 530 | $74,680 | $88,730 | $108,800 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 520 | $84,270 | $100,470 | $126,400 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 510 | $78,590 | $95,100 | $104,450 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 300 | $85,210 | $101,610 | $130,660 |
| 313300 · 4-digit | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 280 | $78,190 | $93,450 | $108,520 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 280 | $72,910 | $85,020 | $107,200 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 280 | $75,610 | $87,540 | $107,040 |
| 314100 · 4-digit | Textile Furnishings Mills | 260 | $75,760 | $99,140 | $117,580 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 250 | $86,000 | $104,380 | $131,170 |
| 313100 · 4-digit | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 200 | $75,250 | $88,600 | $106,660 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 120 | $93,080 | $108,090 | $134,500 |
| 321100 · 4-digit | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 110 | $88,030 | $108,250 | $131,680 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 100 | $94,450 | $97,130 | $132,360 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 90 | $81,270 | $96,700 | $108,730 |
| 316000 · 3-digit | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 80 | $75,850 | $91,930 | $115,090 |
| 316900 · 4-digit | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 60 | $75,700 | $106,170 | $123,850 |
| 315200 · 4-digit | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 50 | $66,520 | $88,620 | $127,880 |
| 311700 · 4-digit | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 40 | $82,470 | $101,090 | $110,440 |
| 334600 · 4-digit | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | Not published by BLS | $48,570 | $59,630 | $84,280 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For VP of Operational Excellence, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. 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 | $81,910 | $101,140 | $127,480 |
| May 2025 | $83,600 | $102,440 | $129,250 |
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 the actual remit?
Write down who is accountable for the operating system and improvement priorities across a plant network today. If responsibility for the operating system and improvement priorities across a plant network is divided between several people, tell us where this hire's work begins and ends.
That explanation helps separate their capability from a team's success at the operating system and improvement priorities across a plant network.
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 VP of Operational Excellence?
The median annual wage for Industrial Engineers in the United States was $102,440 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $83,600 and $129,250. 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 $74,370. 90% earned less than $159,860.
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 VP of Operational Excellence 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 365,740 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
Continuous Improvement Manager pay Continuous Improvement Engineer pay Lean Six Sigma Black Belt pay Director of Operational Excellence pay Lean Manager pay VP of Operational Excellence pay ranked across all metros Open jobs VP of Operational Excellence recruiting Check an offer for this role
What does this data mean for your opening?
The national median for Industrial Engineers is $102,440, with a $1,300 change from the May 2024 figure of $101,140. With 365,740 jobs accounted for, the middle-band width is $45,650, spanning the 25th and 75th percentiles of $83,600 and $129,250. For VP of Operational Excellence 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 this title is not tracked separately by the BLS, use this data as a general reference for engineering-led operations management roles.
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn records a median of $104,110 with a middle-band width of $45,180. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington reports a median of $104,730 and a middle-band width of $39,440. Both areas show high location quotients of 3.87 and 3.04, highlighting their importance as engineering and manufacturing hubs. The similarity in medians confirms consistent regional pay structures for these technical management occupations across these manufacturing-heavy metros.
National industry medians for Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing at $127,140 and Chemical Manufacturing at $118,700 are significantly higher than the general occupational median. These figures offer a better sense of pay expectations for high-level operations engineering within the manufacturing sector. Note that the data captures a broad spectrum of industrial engineering duties, so it is necessary to consider the full range of engineering-led responsibilities when planning the compensation for this role.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Is the broad SOC 17-2112 classification appropriate for VP roles?
The Industrial Engineer classification captures many technical management roles, but it is broad. VP-level roles in operational excellence often carry higher responsibility that may sit above typical SOC averages.
What is the benefit of comparing these specific metros?
Both metros have high location quotients, providing a reliable look at how the core industrial engineering labor market behaves in manufacturing-concentrated regions. This helps validate the consistency of the compensation data.
How do industry-specific rows assist in salary planning?
They provide a better industry-based baseline than the national median, as manufacturing sectors like Petroleum or Chemicals typically reward engineering experience more highly than other industries.
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