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Hourly Wage for Plant Superintendent Salary in the United States

What is the hourly salary range of Plant Superintendent?

As of September 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Plant Superintendent in the United States is $59, which translates to an annual salary of about $122,375.

However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $71 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $53 to $65 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $49 per hour
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Plant Superintendent Salaries

A Plant Superintendent's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Plant Superintendent Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Plant Superintendent's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Plant Superintendent (0-5 years): $122,375
  • Plant Operations Manager (5+ years): $156,860
  • Plant Manager (5+ years): $192,189
  • Plant General Manager (5+ years): $219,712
  • Multi Plant General Manager (5+ years): $257,622
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Plant Superintendent0-5 years$122,375
Plant Operations Manager5+ years$156,860
Plant Manager5+ years$192,189
Plant General Manager5+ years$219,712
Multi Plant General Manager5+ years$257,622
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How Do Plant Superintendent Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Plant Superintendents. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $135,494.
  • California: $134,980.
  • Massachusetts: $133,181.

Top Paying Cities for Plant Superintendents

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $154,352
  • San Francisco: $152,662
  • Oakland: $149,444

What Skills Can Increase a Plant Superintendent's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 10.24% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Preventative Maintenance (Mentioned in 2.35% Job Postings): Developing and implementing maintenance strategies to increase equipment life expectancy and avoid unplanned downtime.
  • Lean Manufacturing (Mentioned in 1.51% Job Postings): Lean manufacturing or lean production is a systematic method originating in the Japanese manufacturing industry for the minimization of waste (無駄, muda) within a manufacturing system without sacrificing productivity, which can cause problems. Lean also takes into account waste created through overburden (無理, muri) and unevenness in work loads (斑, mura). Working from the perspective of the client who consumes a product or service, "value" is any action or process that a customer would be willing to pay for.[citation needed] Lean manufacturing attempts to make obvious what adds value, through reducing everything else (because it is not adding value). This management philosophy is derived mostly from the Toyota Production System (TPS) and identified as "lean" only in the 1990s.[page needed], TPS is renowned for its focus on reduction of the original Toyota seven wastes to improve overall customer value, but there are varying perspectives on how this is best achieved. The steady growth of Toyota, from a small company to the world's largest automaker, has focused attention on how it has achieved this success.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 10.24%
Preventative Maintenance 2.35%
Lean Manufacturing 1.51%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Plant Superintendent's salary.

  • Lean Manufacturing: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Process Improvement: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Continuous Improvement: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Lean Manufacturing $130,941
7%
Process Improvement $130,941
7%
Continuous Improvement $130,941
7%
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Plant Superintendent Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Plant Superintendent salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $136,759. While startup companies pay approximate $115,684.

Plant Superintendent Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $115,684
Growth Stage 51~500 $122,348
Established 501~5000 $132,058
Enterprise 5000+ $136,759

Plant Superintendent Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Plant Superintendent roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 45% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Construction and Aerospace & Defense sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Plant Superintendent positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Plant Superintendent as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Plant Superintendent

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Construction$146,850$71.020%
Aerospace & Defense$140,731$68.015%
Pharmaceuticals$140,731$68.015%
Business Services$134,612$65.010%
MFG Durable$134,612$65.010%

How Education impacts a Plant Superintendent's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Plant Superintendent enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Plant Superintendent with a Bachelor's Degree is between $112,864 and $119,013.

Plant Superintendent Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Plant Superintendent
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 32.6%
High School 32.6%
Associates 16.7%
Bachelors 37.5%
Masters 13.2%
Doctorate 0.0%
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Plant Superintendent Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Plant Superintendent's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$111,277
Average $122,375/year
$135,096
$9,273
Average $10,198/month
$11,258
$2,140
Average $2,353/week
$2,598
$53
Average $59/hour
$65
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $135,096 $11,258 $2,598 $65
Average $122,375 $10,198 $2,353 $59
25th Percentile $111,277 $9,273 $2,140 $53

Most common benefits for Plant Superintendent

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Plant Superintendent

Here are companies hiring for Plant Superintendent and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Plant Superintendent

1. What are the responsibilities of Plant Superintendent?

Supervises and coordinates workers' activities in all phases of plant operations. Develops and manages production and maintenance schedules to meet internal volume, cost, and quality goals. Utilizes operational metrics to analyze productivity, identify issues, and achieve production goals. Troubleshoots operational, materials, equipment, and staffing problems and coordinates solutions. Implements plant safety and security inspections, auditing, and training procedures to meet OSHA and other required regulations. Typically requires a bachelor's degree in manufacturing engineering or equivalent. Typically reports to a director. Manages subordinate staff in the day-to-day performance of their jobs. True first level manager. Ensures that project/department milestones/goals are met and adhering to approved budgets. Has full authority for personnel actions. Typically requires 5 years experience in the related area as an individual contributor. 1 - 3 years supervisory experience may be required. Extensive knowledge of the function and department processes.

2. What are the skills of Plant Superintendent

Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.)

Leadership: Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.

2.)

Preventative Maintenance: Developing and implementing maintenance strategies to increase equipment life expectancy and avoid unplanned downtime.

3.)

Lean Manufacturing: Lean manufacturing or lean production is a systematic method originating in the Japanese manufacturing industry for the minimization of waste (無駄, muda) within a manufacturing system without sacrificing productivity, which can cause problems. Lean also takes into account waste created through overburden (無理, muri) and unevenness in work loads (斑, mura). Working from the perspective of the client who consumes a product or service, "value" is any action or process that a customer would be willing to pay for.[citation needed] Lean manufacturing attempts to make obvious what adds value, through reducing everything else (because it is not adding value). This management philosophy is derived mostly from the Toyota Production System (TPS) and identified as "lean" only in the 1990s.[page needed], TPS is renowned for its focus on reduction of the original Toyota seven wastes to improve overall customer value, but there are varying perspectives on how this is best achieved. The steady growth of Toyota, from a small company to the world's largest automaker, has focused attention on how it has achieved this success.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

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