Manufacturing and production jobs: postings, pay, and occupations
How many US job postings are in manufacturing and production, what they advertise in pay, and the occupations and industries behind them.
- US job postings
- 85,472
- 2.6% of US postings placed in a field
- Median advertised pay
- $49,920
- Middle 50 percent $41,600 to $72,800
- Share that list pay
- 22.1%
- 18,910 of 85,472 postings
- Fully remote
- 0.4%
- 381 remote postings open to US workers
Figures as of .
Manufacturing and production has 85,472 live US job postings as of November 5, 2026, 2.6% of the US postings we could place in a field. That ranks 13th of 24 fields.
Its postings that list pay advertise a median of $49,920 a year, with the middle 50 percent from $41,600 to $72,800.
Its largest occupation is production associate and assembler, with 28.3% of its postings. The industry with the most of its postings is manufacturing and consumer goods, with 39.2%.
Occupations in manufacturing and production
Each occupation's share of the US postings in manufacturing and production, as of November 5, 2026. A posting placed only in a field has no occupation, so the shares can add up to less than the whole field.
| Occupation | Postings | Share of field | Lists pay | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production associate and assembler | 24,183 | 28.3% | 24.0% | $41,600 |
| Machine operator | 17,278 | 20.2% | 21.2% | $45,760 |
| Production supervisor and plant manager | 16,833 | 19.7% | 22.3% | $100,000 |
| Quality inspector and technician | 12,880 | 15.1% | 21.0% | $57,200 |
| Production and process technician | 7,150 | 8.4% | 22.6% | $59,280 |
| Plant and system operator | 4,255 | 5.0% | 16.9% | $62,348 |
Specialties in manufacturing and production
The 17 specialties with the most US postings in manufacturing and production, among those with at least 50, each as a share of its occupation's US postings, as of November 5, 2026. Many postings name no specialty.
| Specialty | Occupation | Postings | Share of occupation | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | Production associate and assembler | 10,232 | 42.3% | $41,600 |
| In-process and final inspection | Quality inspector and technician | 2,914 | 22.6% | $53,560 |
| Packaging | Production associate and assembler | 2,859 | 11.8% | $39,520 |
| CNC operation | Machine operator | 1,643 | 9.5% | $52,000 |
| Assembly, integration and test | Production and process technician | 1,567 | 21.9% | $63,232 |
| Food production | Production associate and assembler | 1,552 | 6.4% | $40,737 |
| Process technician | Production and process technician | 1,535 | 21.5% | $62,400 |
| Nondestructive testing | Quality inspector and technician | 795 | 6.2% | $72,520 |
| Water and wastewater | Plant and system operator | 795 | 18.7% | $62,710 |
| Packaging machines | Machine operator | 771 | 4.5% | $44,678 |
| Incoming inspection | Quality inspector and technician | 657 | 5.1% | $49,920 |
| Electronics assembly | Production associate and assembler | 471 | 1.9% | $43,758 |
| Chemical and refinery | Plant and system operator | 364 | 8.6% | $59,779 |
| Injection molding | Machine operator | 359 | 2.1% | $43,680 |
| Press and stamping | Machine operator | 305 | 1.8% | $46,389 |
| Power plant | Plant and system operator | 276 | 6.5% | $91,520 |
| Metrology | Quality inspector and technician | 253 | 2.0% | $68,318 |
Industries hiring for manufacturing and production
The industries with the most US manufacturing and production postings, each as a share of the field's US postings, as of November 5, 2026. Each posting counts in its employer's industry.
| Industry | Postings | Share of field | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing and consumer goods | 33,504 | 39.2% | $48,880 |
| Aerospace and defense | 6,736 | 7.9% | $75,920 |
| Staffing and recruiting | 5,951 | 7.0% | $42,640 |
| Hardware and electronics | 5,315 | 6.2% | $56,576 |
| Retail and consumer brands | 4,090 | 4.8% | $48,464 |
| Pharma, biotech and medical devices | 3,317 | 3.9% | $76,960 |
| Automotive | 3,230 | 3.8% | $47,830 |
| Construction | 3,144 | 3.7% | $67,446 |
| Wholesale and distribution | 3,124 | 3.7% | $43,680 |
| Energy, mining and utilities | 2,465 | 2.9% | $81,515 |
| Agriculture | 2,341 | 2.7% | $45,760 |
| Professional services | 2,093 | 2.4% | $68,640 |
Advertised pay pages for manufacturing and production
The role families whose jobs are in manufacturing and production, with their advertised pay, as of November 5, 2026.
| Role family | Median | Middle 50 percent | Postings with pay | Employers | Share that list pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing and production | $52,000 | $41,600 to $73,112 | 20,961 | 3,609 | 25.2% |
Questions
- How many US job postings are in manufacturing and production?
- 85,472 live US job postings as of November 5, 2026, 2.6% of the US postings we could place in a field.
- What do manufacturing and production job postings pay?
- The median advertised base pay is $49,920 a year, and the middle 50 percent of postings that list pay run from $41,600 to $72,800. 18,910 of its 85,472 US postings list pay.
- Which manufacturing and production occupations have the most job postings?
- The occupations with the most manufacturing and production postings are production associate and assembler (28.3%), machine operator (20.2%), and production supervisor and plant manager (19.7%), each as a share of its US postings.