Industrial Production Managers
Machines can already do 30% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 55%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Industrial Production Managers in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 30% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 1% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2033, and 55% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 246,250 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $126,060 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 73% for contact with people.
- Also called: Area Plant Manager, Assembly Manager, General Production Manager, Manufacturing Coordinator.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct or coordinate production, processing, distribution, or marketing activities of industrial organizations | 13% | 10% to 27% | |
| Review operations and confer with technical or administrative staff to resolve production or processing problems | 11% | 35% to 70% | |
| Review processing schedules or production orders to make decisions concerning inventory requirements, staffing requirements, work procedures, or duty assignments, considering budgetary limitations and time constraints | 9% | 60% to 90% | |
| Supervise subordinate employees | 9% | 10% to 27% | |
| Develop or implement production tracking or quality control systems, analyzing production, quality control, maintenance, or other operational reports to detect production problems | 7% | 35% to 58% | |
| Prepare and maintain production reports or personnel records | 6% | 70% to 95% | |
| Set and monitor product standards, examining samples of raw products or directing testing during processing, to ensure finished products are of prescribed quality | 4% | 22% to 47% | |
| Hire, train, evaluate, or discharge staff or resolve personnel grievances | 4% | 27% to 51% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills industrial production managers use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Industrial Production Managers?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2033. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of industrial production managers?
Machines can do 30% of the tasks of industrial production managers today and 55% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 11-3051.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Industrial Production Managers: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/industrial-production-managers/