Manufacturing

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) reports that manufacturers contributed $2.91 trillion to the U.S. economy in the second quarter of 2024, or approximately 10.6 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023. If considered independently, the U.S. manufacturing sector would be the eighth largest economy in the world in 2023.

Manufacturing covers a wide range of industries, primarily in two categories: durable and nondurable goods. Durable goods have a long life span and hold up over time; nondurable goods have a shorter life span. The manufacturing industry employs workers with an equally wide range of skill levels, education, and interests. Among workers important to the manufacturing industries are engineers and technicians, robotics integrators (who often have backgrounds in engineering and/or computer science), manufacturing sales representatives, commercial and industrial designers, logisticians, industrial maintenance technicians, heavy equipment operators, machinists, welders, electronics and electromechanical assemblers, administrative and supervisory staff, quality control inspectors, and clerical support staff.

Engineers are an important part of the manufacturing workforce. Their work focuses on research, development, analysis, planning, surveying, application, facility evaluation, and more. Some work on the design and refinement of the products to be manufactured, while others work on the design and assembly of the machines and tools that make these products. Engineers also work on environmental concerns, including regulatory compliance, traffic patterns within the plant, hazardous waste control, and ergonomic issues. Technicians work with and provide support to engineers.

As more companies integrate advanced robotics systems into their manufacturing operations (or seek to upgrade existing systems), they are seeking robotics experts to help them accomplish these and other tasks. Robotics integrators help businesses identify areas for potential robotics integration; design robotics systems, program, install, and outfit industrial robots; and assist with human-robot interactivity.

Robotics integrators help businesses identify areas for potential robotics integration, design robotics systems, program and outfit industrial robots, and assist with human-robot interactivity.

Department managers, supervisors, and forepersons oversee manufacturing facilities and serve as liaisons between administrative staff and production workers. These employees usually have a great deal of experience as production workers and are responsible for such areas as worker productivity, product quality, safety and health, and plant and machine maintenance.

Production workers, make up the largest segment of manufacturing employment, by far. They operate, tend to, and adjust machines, tools, and equipment; assemble parts; and package products. They cut, drill, mold, stamp, cook, stir, measure, glue, wrap, and perform the millions of other tasks required by manufacturing processes. Manufacturing provides good jobs for low- and semiskilled workers, with higher wages and better benefits than nonmanufacturing jobs.

Quality control inspectors examine and test products to check for defects or other problems with the manufactured materials. Sales representatives reach out to customers, including governments, businesses, and others that may use the products the manufacturer develops and produces. Manufacturing company support staff performs a variety of duties from answering office phones, managing bookkeeping and accounting records, filing reports, and more.

In addition to these careers, there is also increasing demand for data- and artificial intelligence–focused workers such as data scientists, statisticians, computer and information systems managers, software developers, and AI scientists and developers.