Arkansas·Management Occupations·SOC 11-3051

Best Industrial Production Manager programs in Arkansas, ranked by enrollment

Plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and quantity.

44 schools in Arkansas run programs that feed this job, graduating 3,672 people a year. The job pays a median of $118,120 in Arkansas across about 2,560 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledPlant ManagerQuality ManagerAssembly ManagerPlant SupervisorProduction ManagerMaintenance ManagerManufacturing ManagerOperations Supervisor
Graduates / yr
3,672
in Arkansas
Median pay · Arkansas
$118,120
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
2,560
people employed
Schools
44
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
46%
across those schools
Median net price
$19,423
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Arkansas that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

6 programs in Arkansas that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Arkansas (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Arkansas page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 52.0201In Arkansas
2,007
54.7%
33$43,506$25,000
2
CIP 52.0101In Arkansas
786
21.4%
27$44,700$24,000
3
CIP 15.1501In Arkansas
449
12.2%
3$68,912$25,236
4
CIP 52.0203In Arkansas
377
10.3%
10$43,506$25,000
5
CIP 14.3501In Arkansas
48
1.3%
1$74,748$24,989
6
CIP 52.0205In Arkansas
5
0.1%
1$43,506$25,000

Top 25 schools in Arkansas

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 19 of the 44 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR Public · 5 feeder programs
942Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management$56,45671%74%
2Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR Public · 2 feeder programs
662Business Administration and Management, General$39,86649%96%
3Arkansas State University
Jonesboro, AR Public · 4 feeder programs
349Business Administration and Management, General$36,00755%82%
4Southern Arkansas University Main Campus
Magnolia, AR Public · 3 feeder programs
193Business/Commerce, General$34,91049%75%
5University of Central Arkansas
Conway, AR Public · 3 feeder programs
187Business/Commerce, General$42,89254%89%
6University of Arkansas - Fort Smith
Fort Smith, AR Public · 2 feeder programs
126Business Administration and Management, General$39,05738%80%
7NorthWest Arkansas Community College
Bentonville, AR Public · 3 feeder programs
121Business Administration and Management, General31%
8University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Little Rock, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
115Business Administration and Management, General$39,02242%59%
9Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, AR Public · 2 feeder programs
108Business/Commerce, General$36,60637%
10University of Arkansas at Monticello
Monticello, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
71Business Administration and Management, General49%
11Arkansas State University - Beebe
Beebe, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
61Business/Commerce, General$23,66342%
12University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College
North Little Rock, AR Public · 2 feeder programs
59Business/Commerce, General$32,78036%
13Harding University
Searcy, AR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
51Business Administration and Management, General$40,08169%$19,42371%
14Strayer University - Arkansas
Little Rock, AR Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
51Business/Commerce, General$55,431
15Arkansas State University Mid - South
West Memphis, AR Public · 2 feeder programs
50Business Administration and Management, General58%
16University of Arkansas Grantham
LIttle Rock, AR Public · 4 feeder programs
47Business Administration and Management, General$59,00943%
17John Brown University
Siloam Springs, AR Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
37Business Administration and Management, General$54,98272%$20,32576%
18National Park College
Hot Springs, AR Public · 2 feeder programs
37Business/Commerce, General35%
19Arkansas State University - Mountain Home
Mountain Home, AR Public · 2 feeder programs
35Business/Commerce, General44%
20Philander Smith University
Little Rock, AR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
33Business Administration and Management, General$27,41330%$16,387
21University of Arkansas Community College - Morrilton
Morrilton, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
32Business/Commerce, General42%100%
22University of Arkansas Community College - Batesville
Batesville, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
27Business/Commerce, General66%
23University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
26Business Administration and Management, General$35,49040%41%
24University of the Ozarks
Clarksville, AR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
26Business Administration and Management, General$35,37351%$13,60860%
25University of Arkansas - East Arkansas Community College
Forrest City, AR Public · 2 feeder programs
23Business Administration and Management, General51%

All 44 schools in Arkansas

Every school in Arkansas with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Arkansas that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of ArkansasFayettevillePublic9425
Arkansas Tech UniversityRussellvillePublic6622
Arkansas State UniversityJonesboroPublic3494
Southern Arkansas University Main CampusMagnoliaPublic1933
University of Central ArkansasConwayPublic1873
University of Arkansas - Fort SmithFort SmithPublic1262
NorthWest Arkansas Community CollegeBentonvillePublic1213
University of Arkansas at Little RockLittle RockPublic1151
Henderson State UniversityArkadelphiaPublic1082
University of Arkansas at MonticelloMonticelloPublic711
Arkansas State University - BeebeBeebePublic611
University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical CollegeNorth Little RockPublic592
Harding UniversitySearcyPrivate not-for-profit511
Strayer University - ArkansasLittle RockPrivate for-profit512
Arkansas State University Mid - SouthWest MemphisPublic502

What industrial production managers earn in Arkansas

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Arkansas
$118,120
Mean annual
$129,370
Jobs in state
2,560
What the range looks like
10th pct$74,970Median$118,12090th pct$201,560
Versus the national median
-6.3%

U.S. median $126,060. Arkansas pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
1.24×

Concentrated here: Arkansas employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in Arkansas

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR
$136,410median
670 jobs
Jonesboro, AR
$109,210median
90 jobs
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
$124,550median
430 jobs
Fort Smith, AR-OK
$106,520median
220 jobs
Hot Springs, AR
$103,580median
60 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+1.9%
Little or no change
Openings per year
17,100
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
4,600
241,900 → 246,500
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Industrial Production Managers page.

How to become a Industrial Production Manager

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience needed
5 years or more

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

SpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingMonitoringActive ListeningWriting

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Arkansas

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 9 majors mapped to Industrial Production Managers9 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 14.3501Industrial Engineering
  • 15.1501Engineering/Industrial Management
  • 51.2006Clinical and Industrial Drug Development
  • 51.2009Industrial and Physical Pharmacy and Cosmetic Sciences
  • 52.0101Business/Commerce, General
  • 52.0201Business Administration and Management, General
  • 52.0203Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management
  • 52.0205Operations Management and Supervision
  • 52.0216Science/Technology Management

Common questions

Answers for people weighing industrial production managers programs in Arkansas.

What degree do you need to become an Industrial Production Manager?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Business Administration and Management, General, which awarded 2,007 degrees in Arkansas in 2024-25, 54.7% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming an Industrial Production Manager?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 6 programs to this occupation. The largest are Business Administration, Business/Commerce, Engineering-Related Fields, Industrial Engineering. Together they graduate about 3,672 people a year in Arkansas.

How much do industrial production managers earn in Arkansas?+

The median is $118,120 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 6.3% below the U.S. median of $126,060. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for industrial production managers growing?+

BLS projects a +1.9% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 17,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Arkansas?+

44 institutions in Arkansas reported graduates from at least one of the 6 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do industrial production managers work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Plant Manager, Quality Manager, Assembly Manager, Plant Supervisor, Production Manager, Maintenance Manager among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 11-3051.

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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