Annual Salary
£24,000 to £65,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Engineering design or Maintenance or go back to all job sectors
Production managers make sure manufacturing processes run smoothly and cost-effectively, and deliver products on time.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
3.4% more Production manager (manufacturing) jobs in 2027.
As a production manager, you'll:
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work in an office or in a factory.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in manufacturing. Some employers may look for a degree of relevance to their particular industry, for example:
It's important to gain relevant industry experience during your degree. This could be through:vacation placements; internships; year in industry schemes
With a degree you can apply to manufacturing or production graduate management schemes.
You'll usually need:
The apprenticeship route you take will depend on the sector you want to work in. The following higher and degree apprenticeships may help you to get into this role:
You'll usually need:
You could start as an engineering technician or quality control officer in a manufacturing company. You could then become a team leader and shift supervisor before moving into production management through training and promotion.
You could apply for a place on a management training scheme with a manufacturing company. They usually ask for a degree but you may be able to start without university qualifications if you can show you've enough relevant industry experience.
A knowledge of production methods and quality standards, for example ISO9000, will be helpful.
With experience, you could move into overall factory management, or strategic planning roles at regional or national level in a larger company.
If you work for a national or international company, you may have the opportunity to work overseas.
You'll need: