Industrial Management Jobs and MBA Programs in Alabama

The education and job opportunities are plentiful for industrial production managers in Alabama. For industrial production managers in Alabama, the job pool currently sits at 2,350 and is expected to grow by eight percent to 2,820 jobs by 2016. This is opposite the national trend for industrial production managers, which sees the job pool declining at about seven percent over the next 10 years. In general, industrial production managers plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and quantity specifications.

Alabama photo by Melinda Shelton

State figures show that industrial production managers in Alabama earn $39 per hour or $80,000 per year on average. In the U.S. as a whole, their income is $44 hourly or $91,000 per year on average.

Alabama, also known as the Heart of Dixie, has a population of 4,708,708. It has grown by 5.9 percent in the last 10 years. Montgomery is the state capital. There were 2,640,717 total jobs in 2008 and workers in Alabama earned more than the previous year with an average annual income of $33,655, up from $32,803. The unemployment rate in Alabama was 10.1 percent in 2009. It went up by 4.9 percentage points since the previous year. The number of residents with a college degree is 19.0 percent. This is below the national average.

Manufacturing magnetic media, asphalt shingle materials manufacturing, perishable prepared food manufacturing and ornamental metal work manufacturing are the top employing fields in Alabama.

While being known for many things, one of the most noteworthy, Alabama is the only state with all major natural resources needed to make iron and steel. It is also the largest supplier of cast-iron and steel pipe products.

Industrial Management

Industrial production managers plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and quantity specifications.

They regularly direct the production, processing and marketing efforts of industrial organizations. They also recommend processes for facility and equipment maintenance or modification.

They are required to direct the development of teams and individuals with the aim of problem solving and task completion and evaluate and judge the efficacy of solutions.

Industrial production managers should be able to listen to and understand others in meetings and articulate ideas and problems.

In order to be successful in the workplace, industrial production managers must be reliable and want to innovate to meet new challenges.