Industrial production managers
SOC Code: 11-3051
Industrial production managers carries a 57% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $121,440 and +1.9% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 241,900 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 57% AI exposure, Industrial production managers sits 20 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 93% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
50/100
Industrial production managers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A+ $121,440
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth D +1.9%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 57% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Industrial production managers in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's band with mid-pack BLS pace
Industrial production managers shares the Bachelor's gate with 178 peer occupations and lands in Slow growth (245 of 832). Neither the rarest nor the most crowded growth shelf - use wage and AI desks on this page for the differentiator.
Where Industrial production managers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Industrial production managers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
57% Higher than most higher than 93% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Industrial production managers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Industrial production managers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Industrial production managers's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 11-3051) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Industrial production managers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Industrial production managers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Manage safety programs at power generation facilities.
- 2. Stop production if serious product defects are present.
- 3. Review biomass operations performance specifications to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
- 4. Direct operations, maintenance, or repair of hydroelectric power facilities.
- 5. Supervise production employees in the manufacturing of biofuels, such as biodiesel or ethanol.
- 6. Supervise employees in geothermal power plants or well fields.
- 7. Review and update standard operating procedures or quality assurance manuals.
- 8. Oversee geothermal plant operations, maintenance, and repairs to ensure compliance with applicable standards or regulations.
- 9. Monitor performance of quality control systems to ensure effectiveness and efficiency.
- 10. Manage operations at biofuels power generation facilities, including production, shipping, maintenance, or quality assurance activities.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Critical Thinking
- Time Management
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Computers and Electronics
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
- Law and Government
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Industrial production managers?
Industrial production managers has an AI exposure score of 57%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Industrial production managers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Industrial production managers is projected to grow by 1.9% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 241,900 workers.
What skills are needed for Industrial production managers?
Key skills for Industrial production managers include Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Industrial production managers earn?
The median annual wage for Industrial production managers is $121,440, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Industrial production managers?
The typical entry-level education for Industrial production managers is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect 5 years or more of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Industrial production managers?
Industrial production managers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Industrial production managers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (57% here).
- New accounts clerks · AI exposure 57%
- Opticians, dispensing · AI exposure 57%
- Prepress technicians and workers · AI exposure 57%
- Air traffic controllers · AI exposure 56%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+1.9% here).
- Radiation therapists · growth +1.9%
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products · growth +1.9%
- Cement masons and concrete finishers · growth +1.8%
- Computer network support specialists · growth +1.8%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 14 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Industrial production managers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Industrial production managers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).