Despite a slight monthly dip in May 2024, the US manufacturing sector is staging a powerful, job-creating comeback, fueled by record-breaking reshoring announcements and substantial wage growth that continues to outpace the broader private sector.
Key Takeaways
- In May 2024, total nonfarm payroll employment in manufacturing stood at 12,954,000 jobs, reflecting a slight decline of 8,000 from April
- Manufacturing employment increased by 193,000 jobs over the 12 months ending May 2024, averaging about 16,000 jobs per month
- Durable goods manufacturing employed 8,027,000 workers in May 2024, up 137,000 from a year earlier
- Average hourly earnings in manufacturing were $32.15 in May 2024, up 3.9% over the year
- Production and nonsupervisory manufacturing workers earned $27.81 per hour in May 2024
- Annual mean wage for manufacturing occupations was $62,530 in 2023
- In May 2024, the largest manufacturing subsector by employment was food manufacturing with 1,704,000 jobs
- Transportation equipment manufacturing employed 1,729,000 workers in May 2024
- Fabricated metal product manufacturing had 1,461,200 jobs in 2022 annual average
- California had 1,315,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022, largest state total
- Texas manufacturing employment 940,000 in 2022, second highest
- Ohio 717,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
- US manufacturing contributed $2.9 trillion to GDP in 2022, 11% of total
- Manufacturing supports $2.1 trillion in indirect economic activity annually
- Every $1 spent in manufacturing generates $2.64 in additional activity
While manufacturing jobs grew steadily last year, the sector is expected to face slower future growth.
Economic Impact and Projections
1US manufacturing contributed $2.9 trillion to GDP in 2022, 11% of total
Verified2Manufacturing supports $2.1 trillion in indirect economic activity annually
Verified3Every $1 spent in manufacturing generates $2.64 in additional activity
Verified4Manufacturing exports totaled $1.5 trillion in 2022, 52% of merchandise exports
Directional5Projected manufacturing employment to 2032: 12.8 million, little change from 2022
Single source6BLS projects 54,000 new manufacturing jobs from 2022-2032, growth rate 0.4%
Verified7Durable goods projected to decline by 1% to 2032 due to productivity
Verified8Nondurable goods manufacturing projected up 2.3% to 2032
Verified9Reshoring announced 1.9 million jobs from 2010-2023, impacting GDP growth
Directional10CHIPS Act expected to create 280,000 direct semiconductor jobs by 2030
Single source11Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to support 1.5 million manufacturing jobs over 10 years
Verified12Inflation Reduction Act projected 900,000 clean energy manufacturing jobs by 2030
Verified13Manufacturing productivity grew 2.5% annually 1987-2022
Verified14In 2022, manufacturing paid $1.2 trillion in wages
Directional15Manufacturing R&D investment $300 billion annually, 50% of private sector total
Single source1672% of US manufacturing output exported or used in exports 2022
Verified17Manufacturing capital investment $220 billion in 2022
Verified18Projected output growth for manufacturing 0.1% annually to 2032
Verified19Automation expected to displace 2 million manufacturing jobs but create 4 million by 2025
Directional202023 manufacturing output index at 102.5 (2017=100)
Single source21Capacity utilization in manufacturing 77.8% in May 2024
VerifiedEconomic Impact and Projections Interpretation
The US manufacturing sector is a massive, $2.9 trillion economic engine that, despite appearing to run in place with flat employment, is actually supercharging its productivity and pivoting toward a future of semiconductors and clean energy, proving that its real output isn't just in things, but in the waves of economic activity, high wages, and innovation it creates.
Employment Levels and Trends
1In May 2024, total nonfarm payroll employment in manufacturing stood at 12,954,000 jobs, reflecting a slight decline of 8,000 from April
Verified2Manufacturing employment increased by 193,000 jobs over the 12 months ending May 2024, averaging about 16,000 jobs per month
Verified3Durable goods manufacturing employed 8,027,000 workers in May 2024, up 137,000 from a year earlier
Verified4Nondurable goods manufacturing had 4,927,000 jobs in May 2024, up 56,000 over the year
Directional5From 2021 to 2022, US manufacturing jobs grew by 293,000, reaching 12.9 million by end of 2022
Single source6Manufacturing accounted for 8.2% of total US nonfarm employment in 2022
Verified7Between 2010 and 2022, US manufacturing added 1.1 million jobs
Verified8In 2023, manufacturing employment reached 13 million, the highest since 2008
Verified9Post-pandemic recovery saw manufacturing jobs rebound by 800,000 from the 2020 low by mid-2022
Directional10Projected manufacturing employment growth from 2022-2032 is 0.2% annually, slower than all occupations at 3%
Single source11From March 2020 to March 2024, manufacturing lost 1.4 million jobs during COVID but recovered 760,000 by 2024
Verified12In Q1 2024, manufacturing jobs announced totaled 102,000 new positions across 456 projects
Verified13Cumulative reshoring and FDI job announcements since 2010 reached 2,473,533 by end of 2023
Verified142023 saw 360,900 new manufacturing jobs announced via reshoring, a record high
Directional15Computer and electronics manufacturing announced 92,700 jobs in 2023, leading reshoring sectors
Single source16Transportation equipment sector announced 88,900 reshoring jobs in 2023
Verified17As of 2022, US manufacturing supported 17.2 million jobs including indirect employment
Verified18Manufacturing jobs grew 4.8% from pre-pandemic levels by December 2023
Verified19Midwest region added 94,000 manufacturing jobs since pandemic lows by 2023
Directional20South region manufacturing employment up 142,000 since pandemic
Single source21West region gained 42,000 manufacturing jobs post-pandemic by 2023
Verified22Northeast manufacturing jobs increased by 25,000 since pandemic lows
Verified23In 2021, manufacturing employment was 12.55 million, up from 11.45 million in 2010
Verified24Annual average manufacturing employment in 2022 was 12,965,000 per BLS CES data
Directional25Fabricated metal product manufacturing employed 1,461,000 in 2022
Single source26Food manufacturing jobs totaled 1,704,000 in May 2024
Verified27Chemical manufacturing employed 887,000 in May 2024
Verified28Machinery manufacturing had 1,128,000 jobs in May 2024
Verified29Primary metal manufacturing employed 369,000 in May 2024
Directional30From 1979 to 2023, US manufacturing employment declined from 19.5 million to 13 million
Single sourceEmployment Levels and Trends Interpretation
The sector has emerged from the pandemic's punch with a record-setting reshoring jab and a healthy annual job gain, but its long-term fight against decline continues with the patient stamina of a journeyman welder building a future one careful bead at a time.
Geographic Distribution
1California had 1,315,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022, largest state total
Verified2Texas manufacturing employment 940,000 in 2022, second highest
Verified3Ohio 717,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
Verified4Pennsylvania 579,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
Directional5Illinois 598,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
Single source6Michigan 603,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
Verified7New York 463,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
Verified8Indiana 512,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
Verified9North Carolina 474,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
Directional10Wisconsin 496,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
Single source11In May 2024, California manufacturing employment 1,320,400 seasonally adjusted
Verified12Texas 898,900 manufacturing jobs in May 2024 SA
Verified13Ohio 678,200 in May 2024
Verified14Manufacturing output per Midwest state highest in region 2022
Directional15South region 30.1% of US manufacturing jobs in 2022
Single source16Midwest 22.4% of national manufacturing employment 2022
Verified17West 13.1% manufacturing jobs share in 2022
Verified18Northeast 16.5% of US manufacturing jobs 2022
Verified19Georgia 406,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
Directional20Washington state 281,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
Single source21Alabama 262,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
Verified22Tennessee 389,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
Verified23Kentucky 256,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
Verified24Florida 412,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
Directional25Minnesota 327,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
Single source26Missouri 277,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
Verified27South Carolina 267,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
VerifiedGeographic Distribution Interpretation
While California continues to lead the industrial charge with over 1.3 million factory jobs, the real story is a shifting landscape where Texas and the broader Sunbelt are gaining ground, proving that manufacturing might is no longer solely a Rust Belt monologue but a nationwide, and fiercely competitive, conversation.
Occupational Breakdown
1In May 2024, the largest manufacturing subsector by employment was food manufacturing with 1,704,000 jobs
Verified2Transportation equipment manufacturing employed 1,729,000 workers in May 2024
Verified3Fabricated metal product manufacturing had 1,461,200 jobs in 2022 annual average
Verified4Machinery manufacturing employed 1,128,000 in May 2024
Directional5Plastics and rubber products manufacturing had 533,000 jobs in May 2024
Single source6Electrical equipment and appliances employed 391,000 in May 2024
Verified7In 2023, assemblers and fabricators numbered 1,824,310 in manufacturing occupations
Verified8Metal workers and plastic workers totaled 1,112,780 in 2023 manufacturing
Verified9Production occupations in manufacturing overall 3,967,840 in 2023
Directional10Supervisors of production workers 680,000 in manufacturing 2023
Single source11Printing workers 402,000 in manufacturing 2023
Verified12Textile, apparel, footwear workers 220,000 in 2023
Verified13Food processing workers 621,000 in manufacturing 2023
Verified14Woodworkers 226,000 in manufacturing 2023
Directional15Plant and system operators 148,000 in manufacturing 2023
Single source16Computer-controlled machine tool operators 142,000 in 2023 manufacturing
Verified17In 2022, chemical manufacturing subsector employed 887,000
Verified18Primary metals subsector 369,000 jobs in May 2024
Verified19Beverages and tobacco 274,000 jobs in May 2024
Directional20Apparel manufacturing 96,000 jobs in May 2024, smallest major subsector
Single source21Motor vehicles and parts 985,000 jobs in May 2024
Verified22Aerospace products and parts 526,000 in May 2024
Verified23Navigational instruments 75,000 jobs in May 2024
Verified24Medical equipment and supplies 368,000 in May 2024
Directional25In 2023, 62% of manufacturing workers were in production occupations
Single sourceOccupational Breakdown Interpretation
Despite our tech-savvy reputation, America's industrial backbone is still held together by a formidable army of hands, from the 1.7 million feeding us to the half-million building things that fly, proving that the future of making stuff is as much about nuts, bolts, and bread as it is about bits and bytes.
Wages and Earnings
1Average hourly earnings in manufacturing were $32.15 in May 2024, up 3.9% over the year
Verified2Production and nonsupervisory manufacturing workers earned $27.81 per hour in May 2024
Verified3Annual mean wage for manufacturing occupations was $62,530 in 2023
Verified4Team assemblers in manufacturing earned median $38,260 annually in 2023
Directional5Industrial machinery mechanics median wage $60,470 in 2023
Single source6Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers median $48,000 in manufacturing 2023
Verified7Manufacturing average weekly earnings reached $1,340.96 in Q4 2023, 10% above national average
Verified8In 2022, manufacturing workers earned 13.4% more than private sector average hourly wage
Verified9Benefits in manufacturing cover 81% of workers vs 71% in private industry 2022
Directional10Manufacturing production workers had $1.07 per hour more in overtime pay premium in 2022
Single source11Median annual wage for all production occupations in manufacturing $41,490 in 2023
Verified12Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, weighers median $43,140 in manufacturing 2023
Verified13Cutting, punching, pressing workers median $43,450 in 2023
Verified14Machinists median annual wage $49,510 in manufacturing 2023
Directional15Electrical, electronics assemblers median $38,210 in 2023
Single source16In California, manufacturing average wage $72,000 in 2022, highest state
Verified17Texas manufacturing workers averaged $62,000 wage in 2022
Verified18Ohio manufacturing average wage $65,000 in 2022
Verified19From 2021-2022, manufacturing wages rose 6.5% nominally, outpacing inflation
Directional20Shift differential pay in manufacturing averaged $1.15 per hour in 2022
Single source21Manufacturing incentive pay averaged $1.50 per hour for production workers 2022
Verified22Nonproduction bonuses in manufacturing averaged $1,112 annually in 2022
Verified2387% of manufacturing workers had employer-provided medical coverage in 2022
Verified24In 2023, food manufacturing average hourly wage $28.50
Directional25Chemical manufacturing mean hourly wage $42.10 in 2023
Single source26Computer and electronic products mean wage $44,500 annually in 2023
VerifiedWages and Earnings Interpretation
American factory workers are finally getting a seat at the table with better pay, benefits, and overtime, proving that making things still makes for a solid, if not spectacular, middle-class life.