"Manufacturing is a cut-throat world, margins are shrinking, energy costs are rising, stockholders are whining, and the resources that keep the wheels on the cart are suffering. As a manager I see the need to return to my blue-collar roots and appreciate the blood and sweat that is donated to capitalism." -- production manager with a plastics/rubber manufacturer with 6-10 years of experience, living in the Middle Atlantic region and earning $55,000
"In the next few years, the manufacturers in this country will be the best in the world or they'll be gone." -- corporate/ executive manager of a plastics/rubber manufacturer, with 20-25 years of experience, living in the Mountain region and earning $130,000
"I am pleased to work for my management due to their recognition of the working people in the factory, regardless of level. We are all valued and those of us in management are regularly recognized and thanked for the effort we expend on behalf of the company's success. We hire with an eye toward the promotability of the new hire. It is very important for America to raise the standard of working labor positions and support the U.S. manufacturing industry." -- operations manager at a food & beverage producer, with 26+ years of experience, living in the North Central region and earning $140,000
"Manufacturing is finished in the United States. R.I.P." -- engineering manager with a computer equipment manufacturer, with 26+ years of experience, living in the North Central region and earning $55,000
To understand the state of manufacturing in the United States, you need to recognize it as a study in contradictions. The number of people employed in manufacturing, for instance, continues to decline (with an annual rate of change projected at -1.1% over the next 10 years), and yet output and overall productivity improve every year. Low-cost goods imported from overseas are believed to be threatening the very existence of U.S. manufacturing, but in fact the rise in the number of exports from the United States indicates that as global economies grow, so too does the profitability of American manufacturers.
And closer to home, while the average annual salary of manufacturing managers in the United States basically remained flat over the past year (salaries dipped by 0.9%, from $106,588 in 2007 to $105,581 in 2008), the percentage of managers who are "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with manufacturing as a career path actually increased by 4% this year (from 79% to 83%).
That's just one of many "believe it or not" findings we uncovered in
IndustryWeek's 2008 Salary Survey. Nearly 1,350 readers weighed in, and thanks to the anonymous nature of the survey, they revealed not only how much they earn, what kind of companies they work for and their level of experience, but also what matters most to them about their job, the biggest challenges confronting the industry, and even their frustrations and hopes for the days to come. They didn't just tell us
what they do, but also
why they do it.
Once we crunched all the numbers from the survey results, we discovered that the "average manufacturing manager" is a white male, between 50-59 years old, has worked in the manufacturing industry for more than 26 years, lives in the North Central region of the United States (i.e., the Midwest), has been with his current company for six to 10 years, has a bachelor's degree, works for a metals producer, and earns $105,581. But of course, there's no "one size fits all" description that can really illustrate the day-to-day doings of manufacturing managers, so to bring all these facts and figures to life, you'll find a running commentary on the industry from the men and women whose job it is to make sure things get made the right way.
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