SOC 11-3051.02

    Geothermal Production Managers

    Manage operations at geothermal power generation facilities.

    Median pay
    $126,060
    Growth
    +2.6%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    17,000
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections · figures for the broader BLS group "Industrial production managers"

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $78,000
    Median
    $126,060
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $205,520
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    246,250 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Geothermal production managers oversee operations at geothermal power plants to ensure safe and efficient energy generation. This career offers a median annual pay of $126,060, with opportunities in a growing renewable energy sector.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What geothermal production managers do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    Manage operations at geothermal power generation facilities. Maintain and monitor geothermal plant equipment for efficient and safe plant operations.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    Geothermal production managers oversee the daily operations of geothermal power generation facilities. Their primary responsibility is to maintain and monitor plant equipment to ensure everything runs safely and efficiently. Day-to-day activities include organizing, planning, and prioritizing plant work, scheduling activities, and coordinating the efforts of team members. Managers must communicate constantly with supervisors and subordinates, make critical decisions, and solve complex problems on-site.

    This role aligns with realistic interests, as it involves hands-on coordination of physical systems and technology. To succeed, managers need strong skills in critical thinking, personnel management, time management, and active listening. They must also possess deep knowledge in several areas, including mechanical systems, engineering and technology, public safety, and administration. Monitoring processes and surroundings is vital to prevent equipment failures and maintain a secure environment for all personnel.

    How to get there

    To enter this field, candidates typically need a bachelor's degree, though some individuals secure positions with medium preparation, such as vocational training, an associate degree, or related work experience. Relevant college majors that prepare students for this career include business administration, management and operations, general business, industrial engineering, and engineering-related fields.

    Because this role involves overseeing complex industrial processes and managing teams, gaining practical experience in power plant operations or industrial production is highly beneficial. There are no specific licenses or certifications listed as mandatory for this occupation, but a strong foundation in physics, mathematics, and production processing is essential for managing geothermal facilities.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for geothermal production managers is $126,060. The lowest 10% of earners in this field make less than $78,000, while the highest 10% earn more than $205,520. These wage figures represent the broader occupational group of industrial production managers.

    There are 246,250 people employed in this broader category. Employment is projected to grow by 2.6% from 2025 to 2035, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. Approximately 17,000 job openings are expected each year during this period.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    73 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    39 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    18 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    60 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    64 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCE. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    92
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    90
    Getting Information
    87
    Scheduling Work and Activities
    86
    Working with Computers
    86
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    85
    Developing and Building Teams
    82
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    80
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    80
    Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
    78
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Critical Thinking
    • Monitoring
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Speaking
    • Coordination
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Active Listening
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Management of Personnel Resources
    • Time Management

    Knowledge

    • Mechanical
    • Administration and Management
    • Production and Processing
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Mathematics
    • Engineering and Technology
    • English Language
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Education and Training
    • Physics

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Comprehension
    • Written Expression
    • Information Ordering
    • Speech Clarity

    Also called

    Decommissioning Well Site Manager · Geothermal Operations Manager · Geothermal Plant Manager · Geothermal Product Manager · Geothermal Production Manager · Industrial Production Manager · Mitigation Supervisor · Plant Manager · Plant Operations Coordinator · Plant Superintendent

    Career pathway

    From your interests to geothermal production managers

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Geothermal Production Managers$126,060 median pay
    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Carnegie Mellon University logo
      Carnegie Mellon University

      Pittsburgh, PA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $97,419
      4 yrs after
      $160,783
      Median debt
      $19,000
    2. 2University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus logo
      University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus

      Ann Arbor, MI · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $96,806
      4 yrs after
      $144,654
      Median debt
      $19,500
    3. 3University of California-Berkeley CAL logo
      University of California-Berkeley CAL

      Berkeley, CA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $94,811
      4 yrs after
      $144,599
      Median debt
      $10,656
    4. 4Northeastern University logo
      Northeastern University

      Boston, MA · Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $142,985
      Median debt
      $21,908
    5. 5Northwestern University-Illinois logo
      Northwestern University-Illinois

      Evanston, IL · Industrial Engineering · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $95,993
      4 yrs after
      $138,720
      Median debt
      $13,992
    6. 6Long Island University logo
      Long Island University

      Brookville, NY · Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $136,840
      Median debt
      Not reported
    7. 7University of Pennsylvania UPENN logo
      University of Pennsylvania UPENN

      Philadelphia, PA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $108,743
      4 yrs after
      $136,806
      Median debt
      $19,250
    8. 8Emory University-Main Campus logo
      Emory University-Main Campus

      Atlanta, GA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $87,830
      4 yrs after
      $136,731
      Median debt
      $15,000

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What geothermal production managers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Business Administration and Management, General
    • Business/Commerce, General
    • Clinical and Industrial Drug Development
    • Engineering/Industrial Management
    • Industrial and Physical Pharmacy and Cosmetic Sciences
    • Industrial Engineering
    • Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management
    • Operations Management and Supervision
    • Science/Technology Management

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Questions about geothermal production managers

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this role may be called geothermal operations managers, geothermal plant managers, plant superintendents, decommissioning well site managers, or mitigation supervisors.

    What college majors are related to this field?

    Students can prepare for this career by majoring in business administration, management and operations, industrial engineering, general business, or engineering-related fields.

    How fast is this career growing?

    Employment for the broader group of industrial production managers is projected to grow 2.6% from 2025 to 2035, which is as fast as the average for all occupations, resulting in about 17,000 annual openings.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.