Manufacturing

Careers in this cluster

Cluster definition

If you answered yes to two or more of the questions above, you might be interested in considering a career in manufacturing, installation, or repair.

In the Manufacturing career cluster, you can choose one of several options. You might design a new product or determine how the product will be made. Another option is to make the product. The final option is to install and repair the product once it has been purchased.

Pathways

Health, safety, and environmental assurance

People in the Health, Safety, and Environmental Assurance pathway help keep workers safe on the job. They make sure equipment is being used safely. They also make sure businesses are free of hazards and set up programs to keep workers safe.

Logistics and inventory control

For manufacturing to go smoothly, workers need the materials to make the products. If they have to wait, the company loses money. In the Logistics and Inventory Control pathway, you get materials to the production workers. You might order the items or check them in the company warehouse when they are delivered. Or, you might deliver the materials to the assembly area. In addition, you could pack and ship the finished products.

Maintenance, installation, and repair

Once products are sold and delivered to customers, workers in Maintenance, Installation, and Repair take over. You might install the product in a home or business. If there were problems with the item, you would be called upon to make repairs. Another option would be to make sure that the product is always working properly.

Manufacturing production process development

In the Manufacturing Production Process Development pathway, you would be involved in design and planning. You might design new products. Then you would decide and plan how the product is going to be made. You would work with production workers to set up machines to turn out the new manufactured goods.

Production

In the Production pathway, you might work for large companies or small shops. You would create the parts needed to make products sold to consumers. Or, you would assemble the parts into products.

Quality assurance

The production process may have many steps and products can have many parts. As a result, the work of employees in the Quality Assurance pathway is very important. You would make sure that manufactured goods meet the design standards and work properly and safely. If there are problems in production, you might be asked to find the cause and propose a solution.

Level of education and earnings

The training and education requirements to work in the occupations included in the Manufacturing cluster depend on the pathway and the type of work performed. Some occupations require less than one month of on-the-job training; however, some operations research analysts need a master's degree.

The information provided in the table below, presents the level of education or training required to work in the occupations related to this cluster and the median wages for those occupations. Note that some occupations may have more than one required level because the type of work performed may vary in specific jobs.

Also, keep in mind that there are non-wage benefits that workers receive. For example, these types of benefits are health insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, and retirement plans. It is important to consider these benefits when you are looking at pay. Some benefits, such as health care, are worth a lot of money. You should carefully weigh a job that pays well but does not have many benefits against one that has good benefits and lower pay. Remember, how much an occupation pays is only one factor to consider when making career choices.

Employment & outlook

Job opportunities in manufacturing are expected to continue to be limited in the future. Improvements in technology and production equipment means fewer workers are need to make more products. In addition, many companies are moving production to other countries where wages are lower.

Installation and repair will also need fewer workers in the future. Products are more reliable and need fewer repairs. Also, many products cost less that means consumers replace the item rather than repair it. Many stores are parts of large chains who provide repair and installation services. These large businesses hire fewer workers and do not use the self-employed repair shops.