Also called: Sawmill Manager, Furniture Plant Manager
Runs a sawmill, plywood plant or furniture factory: people, safety, machines, budgets and output.
You start with a walk through the mill as logs are debarked and scanned, then meet with your supervisors about a jammed edger that cost two hours yesterday. Afternoons are numbers: lumber prices, overtime and safety reports. When the market for 2x4s swings, you decide what to cut.
Based on BLS industrial production manager wages; rural mills may pay somewhat less.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in forest products, industrial engineering or business, plus years working up from supervisor.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Forest Products / Wood Science, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). About average growth for production managers overall.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI improves scheduling and reporting; leading crews, safety and running a mill day to day stay human.
Classes: Business class, Statistics, Woodshop class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-3051.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.