US manufacturing employment reached 12,954,000 in May 2024. The total rose by 193,000 over the prior twelve months, with durable goods adding 137,000 of those positions. Data on wages, subsectors, and state distribution show where gains concentrated and where employment remained flat.
Key Takeaways
- US manufacturing contributed $2.9 trillion to GDP in 2022, 11% of total
- In May 2024, total nonfarm payroll employment in manufacturing stood at 12,954,000 jobs, reflecting a slight decline of 8,000 from April
- California had 1,315,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022, largest state total
- In May 2024, the largest manufacturing subsector by employment was food manufacturing with 1,704,000 jobs
- Average hourly earnings in manufacturing were $32.15 in May 2024, up 3.9% over the year
Manufacturing jobs in the US continue to grow, with steady hiring trends supporting long term employment.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic Impact and Projections21 stats
01
US manufacturing contributed $2.9 trillion to GDP in 2022, 11% of total
02
Manufacturing supports $2.1 trillion in indirect economic activity annually
03
Every $1spent in manufacturing generates $2.64 in additional activity
04
Manufacturing exports totaled $1.5 trillion in 2022, 52% of merchandise exports
05
Projected manufacturing employment to 2032: 12.8 million, little change from 2022
06
BLS projects 54,000 new manufacturing jobs from 2022-2032, growth rate 0.4%
07
Durable goods projected to decline by 1% to 2032 due to productivity
08
Nondurable goods manufacturing projected up 2.3% to 2032
09
Reshoring announced 1.9 million jobs from 2010-2023, impacting GDP growth
10
CHIPS Act expected to create 280,000 direct semiconductor jobs by 2030
11
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to support 1.5 million manufacturing jobs over 10 years
12
Inflation Reduction Act projected 900,000 clean energy manufacturing jobs by 2030
13
Manufacturing productivity grew 2.5% annually 1987-2022
14
In 2022, manufacturing paid $1.2 trillion in wages
15
Manufacturing R&D investment $300 billion annually, 50% of private sector total
16
72% of US manufacturing output exported or used in exports 2022
17
Manufacturing capital investment $220 billion in 2022
18
Projected output growth for manufacturing 0.1% annually to 2032
19
Automation expected to displace 2 million manufacturing jobs but create 4 million by 2025
20
2023 manufacturing output index at 102.5 (2017=100)
21
Capacity utilization in manufacturing 77.8% in May 2024
Interpretation
Economic 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.
02 · Category
Employment Levels and Trends30 stats
01
In May 2024, total nonfarm payroll employment in manufacturing stood at 12,954,000 jobs, reflecting a slight decline of 8,000 from April
02
Manufacturing employment increased by 193,000 jobs over the 12 months ending May 2024, averaging about 16,000 jobs per month
03
Durable goods manufacturing employed 8,027,000 workers in May 2024, up 137,000 from a year earlier
04
Nondurable goods manufacturing had 4,927,000 jobs in May 2024, up 56,000 over the year
05
From 2021 to 2022, US manufacturing jobs grew by 293,000, reaching 12.9 million by end of 2022
06
Manufacturing accounted for 8.2% of total US nonfarm employment in 2022
07
Between 2010 and 2022, US manufacturing added 1.1 million jobs
08
In 2023, manufacturing employment reached 13 million, the highest since 2008
09
Post-pandemic recovery saw manufacturing jobs rebound by 800,000 from the 2020 low by mid-2022
10
Projected manufacturing employment growth from 2022-2032 is 0.2% annually, slower than all occupations at 3%
11
From March 2020 to March 2024, manufacturing lost 1.4 million jobs during COVID but recovered 760,000 by 2024
12
In Q1 2024, manufacturing jobs announced totaled 102,000 new positions across 456 projects
13
Cumulative reshoring and FDI job announcements since 2010 reached 2,473,533 by end of 2023
14
2023 saw 360,900 new manufacturing jobs announced via reshoring, a record high
15
Computer and electronics manufacturing announced 92,700 jobs in 2023, leading reshoring sectors
16
Transportation equipment sector announced 88,900 reshoring jobs in 2023
17
As of 2022, US manufacturing supported 17.2 million jobs including indirect employment
18
Manufacturing jobs grew 4.8% from pre-pandemic levels by December 2023
19
Midwest region added 94,000 manufacturing jobs since pandemic lows by 2023
20
South region manufacturing employment up 142,000 since pandemic
21
West region gained 42,000 manufacturing jobs post-pandemic by 2023
22
Northeast manufacturing jobs increased by 25,000 since pandemic lows
23
In 2021, manufacturing employment was 12.55 million, up from 11.45 million in 2010
24
Annual average manufacturing employment in 2022 was 12,965,000 per BLS CES data
25
Fabricated metal product manufacturing employed 1,461,000 in 2022
26
Food manufacturing jobs totaled 1,704,000 in May 2024
27
Chemical manufacturing employed 887,000 in May 2024
28
Machinery manufacturing had 1,128,000 jobs in May 2024
29
Primary metal manufacturing employed 369,000 in May 2024
30
From 1979 to 2023, US manufacturing employment declined from 19.5 million to 13 million
Interpretation
Employment 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.
03 · Category
Geographic Distribution27 stats
01
California had 1,315,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022, largest state total
02
Texas manufacturing employment 940,000 in 2022, second highest
03
Ohio 717,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
04
Pennsylvania 579,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
05
Illinois 598,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
06
Michigan 603,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
07
New York 463,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
08
Indiana 512,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
09
North Carolina 474,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
10
Wisconsin 496,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
11
In May 2024, California manufacturing employment 1,320,400 seasonally adjusted
12
Texas 898,900 manufacturing jobs in May 2024 SA
13
Ohio 678,200 in May 2024
14
Manufacturing output per Midwest state highest in region 2022
15
South region 30.1% of US manufacturing jobs in 2022
16
Midwest 22.4% of national manufacturing employment 2022
17
West 13.1% manufacturing jobs share in 2022
18
Northeast 16.5% of US manufacturing jobs 2022
19
Georgia 406,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022
20
Washington state 281,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
21
Alabama 262,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
22
Tennessee 389,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
23
Kentucky 256,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
24
Florida 412,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
25
Minnesota 327,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
26
Missouri 277,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
27
South Carolina 267,000 manufacturing jobs 2022
Interpretation
Geographic 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.
More related reading
04 · Category
Occupational Breakdown25 stats
01
In May 2024, the largest manufacturing subsector by employment was food manufacturing with 1,704,000 jobs
02
Transportation equipment manufacturing employed 1,729,000 workers in May 2024
03
Fabricated metal product manufacturing had 1,461,200 jobs in 2022 annual average
04
Machinery manufacturing employed 1,128,000 in May 2024
05
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing had 533,000 jobs in May 2024
06
Electrical equipment and appliances employed 391,000 in May 2024
07
In 2023, assemblers and fabricators numbered 1,824,310 in manufacturing occupations
08
Metal workers and plastic workers totaled 1,112,780 in 2023 manufacturing
09
Production occupations in manufacturing overall 3,967,840 in 2023
10
Supervisors of production workers 680,000 in manufacturing 2023
11
Printing workers 402,000 in manufacturing 2023
12
Textile, apparel, footwear workers 220,000 in 2023
13
Food processing workers 621,000 in manufacturing 2023
14
Woodworkers 226,000 in manufacturing 2023
15
Plant and system operators 148,000 in manufacturing 2023
16
Computer-controlled machine tool operators 142,000 in 2023 manufacturing
17
In 2022, chemical manufacturing subsector employed 887,000
18
Primary metals subsector 369,000 jobs in May 2024
19
Beverages and tobacco 274,000 jobs in May 2024
20
Apparel manufacturing 96,000 jobs in May 2024, smallest major subsector
21
Motor vehicles and parts 985,000 jobs in May 2024
22
Aerospace products and parts 526,000 in May 2024
23
Navigational instruments 75,000 jobs in May 2024
24
Medical equipment and supplies 368,000 in May 2024
25
In 2023, 62% of manufacturing workers were in production occupations
Interpretation
Occupational 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.
05 · Category
Wages and Earnings26 stats
01
Average hourly earnings in manufacturing were $32.15in May 2024, up 3.9% over the year
02
Production and nonsupervisory manufacturing workers earned $27.81per hour in May 2024
03
Annual mean wage for manufacturing occupations was $62,530in 2023
04
Team assemblers in manufacturing earned median $38,260annually in 2023
05
Industrial machinery mechanics median wage $60,470in 2023
06
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers median $48,000in manufacturing 2023
07
Manufacturing average weekly earnings reached $1,340.96in Q4 2023, 10% above national average
08
In 2022, manufacturing workers earned 13.4% more than private sector average hourly wage
09
Benefits in manufacturing cover 81% of workers vs 71% in private industry 2022
10
Manufacturing production workers had $1.07per hour more in overtime pay premium in 2022
11
Median annual wage for all production occupations in manufacturing $41,490in 2023
12
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, weighers median $43,140in manufacturing 2023
13
Cutting, punching, pressing workers median $43,450in 2023
14
Machinists median annual wage $49,510in manufacturing 2023
15
Electrical, electronics assemblers median $38,210in 2023
16
In California, manufacturing average wage $72,000in 2022, highest state
17
Texas manufacturing workers averaged $62,000wage in 2022
18
Ohio manufacturing average wage $65,000in 2022
19
From 2021-2022, manufacturing wages rose 6.5% nominally, outpacing inflation
20
Shift differential pay in manufacturing averaged $1.15per hour in 2022
21
Manufacturing incentive pay averaged $1.50per hour for production workers 2022
22
Nonproduction bonuses in manufacturing averaged $1,112annually in 2022
23
87% of manufacturing workers had employer-provided medical coverage in 2022
24
In 2023, food manufacturing average hourly wage $28.50
25
Chemical manufacturing mean hourly wage $42.10in 2023
26
Computer and electronic products mean wage $44,500annually in 2023
Interpretation
Wages 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.
Reference
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APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Manufacturing Jobs Usa Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/manufacturing-jobs-usa-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Manufacturing Jobs Usa Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/manufacturing-jobs-usa-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Manufacturing Jobs Usa Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/manufacturing-jobs-usa-statistics.
Sources & references
7 datasets cited across this report