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Job profile 2026

What is a production manager? Job profile, salary and hiring in 2026

The production manager organises and runs manufacturing in a workshop or a plant: volumes, quality, lead times, costs and safety. They manage team leaders and operators and work with maintenance, methods and quality.

In brief: production manager salary, €60-70k for a first appointment, over €100k for an experienced profile. Source: Industry and Energy Pay Barometer 2026, Volta Executive; list of the 52 roles in short supply in 2026, Volta Executive, updated on 8 October 2026.

By Florian Beurtey, engineer and founder of Volta Executive. Published on 8 October 2026, updated on 8 October 2026.

Production manager : the role in figures

Production manager salary€60-70k for a first appointment, over €100k for an experienced profile
Shortage levelHigh: reindustrialisation, +30 to +40% more roles in 3 years (Volta's list of 52 roles in short supply)
Career pathProduction director, plant director
Common qualificationsEngineering degree or master's in industrial production

Duties of the production manager

  • Plan production and meet volume, lead time and quality targets
  • Manage team leaders and operators
  • Manage performance indicators and costs
  • Lead safety and continuous improvement
  • Work with maintenance, methods, quality and the supply chain

Skills required

  • Managing industrial performance
  • Managing shift teams
  • Continuous improvement and problem solving
  • Safety and quality culture
  • Production cost management

Reference methods and standards

Lean manufacturingContinuous improvement methods for production
ISO 9001Quality management system
ISO 45001Occupational health and safety

Training to become a production manager

  • Engineering degree (general, mechanical, process), Bac+5
  • Master's in industrial production management, Bac+5
  • BTS or BUT supplemented by long experience in the field

Career paths

  1. Team leader or methods engineer
  2. Production manager
  3. Production director
  4. Plant director or site director

Salary of the production manager in 2026

National basis, fixed annual gross, excluding variable pay and role allowances. The Paris and region columns are derived from the barometer's reference framework (Paris about 12% higher, regions about 5% lower, except for roles in extreme shortage, which are aligned with the national figure).

Production manager

SeniorityNationalParisRegion
0 to 2 years60–70 k€67–78 k€57–67 k€
2 to 5 years70–85 k€78–95 k€67–81 k€
5 to 10 years85–100 k€95–112 k€81–95 k€
10+ years> 100 k€> 112 k€> 95 k€

Production, quality and safety targets drive variable pay; it comes on top of the fixed salary shown.

Source: Industry and Energy Pay Barometer 2026, Volta Executive; list of the 52 roles in short supply in 2026, Volta Executive. Figures in €k gross per year.

The full barometer, role by role

This profile reproduces part of the grids of Volta Executive's 2026 Industry and Energy Pay Barometer. The barometer covers every role in industry and energy, with lead times and shortage levels.

See all the barometer's salary grids Download the PDF

Production manager : the market in 2026

€60-70k

Fixed salary for a first appointment

+30 to +40%

Increase in roles over 3 years with reindustrialisation (Volta's list of 52 roles in short supply)

High

Shortage level for the role

Reindustrialisation has driven up demand for production managers, ranked as high shortage in Volta's list of 52 roles. Profiles who have run a line under pressure on throughput, quality and safety are in post.

Who is hiring

Plants in every sector: mechanical engineering, electrical equipment, food processing, chemicals, and manufacturers of energy equipment.

Hiring a production manager?

Reindustrialisation has multiplied the number of roles; good profiles are in post. Volta Executive approaches them directly and assesses them on quantified shop-floor results.

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Frequently asked questions about the role of the production manager

What is a production manager's salary in 2026?

According to the Volta Executive 2026 pay barometer, on a national basis and fixed annual gross: €60-70k for a first appointment, over €100k for an experienced profile.

What does a production manager do?

They organise and run manufacturing: volumes, quality, lead times, costs and safety, and they manage team leaders and operators.

What is the difference between a production manager and a production director?

The production manager runs a workshop or a line. The production director heads all manufacturing at a site and its managers.

What training do you need to become a production manager?

An engineering degree or a master's in industrial production; a BTS or BUT supplemented by long experience in the field also leads there.

What are the career paths after production manager?

Production director, then plant director or site director.

Other job profiles

Learn more

Sources and method

  • Industry and Energy Pay Barometer 2026, Volta Executive
  • List of the 52 roles in short supply in 2026, Volta Executive

The grids are on a national basis, fixed annual gross. Paris and region values are calculated with the barometer's geographic reference framework.