What Does a Production Coordinator Do?
Production coordinators organize and support manufacturing activities by managing schedules, tracking materials, and facilitating communication between departments. They ensure that production teams have the resources and information needed to operate efficiently. This organizational role keeps manufacturing operations running smoothly behind the scenes.
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Expeditor, Inventory Control Specialist, Material Requirements Planner (MRP), Materials Coordinator, Materials Planner, Production Assistant, Production Clerk, Production Controller.
Production Coordinator Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a production coordinator include:
- Coordinate daily production activities by distributing work orders and monitoring progress.
- Track material availability and communicate shortages or delays to production management.
- Maintain production schedules and update them as priorities or conditions change.
- Prepare and distribute production reports including output, scrap, and efficiency metrics.
- Serve as the communication link between production, purchasing, quality, and shipping departments.
- Schedule and coordinate equipment maintenance windows with the maintenance team.
- Process and track engineering changes, ensuring production has current documentation.
- Organize and maintain production files, work instructions, and quality records.
- Assist with new employee onboarding and training coordination for production staff.
- Support inventory management by coordinating cycle counts and resolving discrepancies.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a production coordinator, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Production scheduling and coordination
- ERP system navigation
- Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook)
- Organizational and multitasking abilities
- Written and verbal communication
- Data entry and record keeping
- Problem-solving and initiative
- Teamwork and cross-departmental collaboration
Education and Training
An associate or bachelor's degree in business administration, manufacturing management, or a related field is preferred. Some employers accept a high school diploma combined with relevant manufacturing experience. Proficiency in ERP systems and Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, is expected. Coursework or certifications in production and inventory management (such as APICS CPIM) can improve qualifications. Many production coordinators develop their skills through on-the-job experience, starting in entry-level production or administrative roles before moving into coordination.
Salary and Job Outlook
Average Salary: $38,000 - $55,000 per year
BLS projects employment of production, planning, and expediting clerks to decline about 1 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 32,600 openings a year. Production coordinator positions are available across all manufacturing industries, with steady demand driven by the need for organized and efficient production operations. Companies value coordinators who can manage information flow and keep complex production schedules on track. This role serves as an excellent stepping stone to production planner, production supervisor, or operations analyst positions. Workers who develop strong analytical skills and deepen their knowledge of manufacturing systems and supply chain principles will find the best advancement opportunities.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Production, planning, and expediting clerks.
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as production, planning, and expediting clerks about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 95% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 95% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 86% are on the phone every day
- 86% use email every day
- 83% spend more than half the workday sitting
- 76% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 73% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 37% |
| Some college | 21% |
| Less than high school | 19% |
| Associate's degree | 13% |
Tools and Software Production Coordinators Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy organized work with data, records and clear procedures as well as leading, persuading and making business decisions.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening, Time Management, Critical Thinking, Writing.
Knowledge areas used most: Production and Processing, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Administrative, Administration and Management.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 2 of 5, which means some preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 43-5061.00 (Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.