Manufacturing Jobs Projected To Grow By 30%: Top 7 High-Paying Careers

Projections for the manufacturing sector indicate nearly 30% growth through 2033, according to reports from Deloitte. Construction spending in manufacturing—in other words, dollars invested to build new or expand existing manufacturing facilities—has nearly tripled since June 2020. In January 2024, this investment reached a record high of $225 billion, which is a 37% year over year increase. Current efforts from the Trump administration are expected to further drive investment in American manufacturing. Analysis indicates that 3.8 million workers will be needed in the sector over the next eight years, with a caveat: attraction and retention are major concerns for leaders. Deloitte warns that as many as 5 in 10 skilled positions (1.9 million jobs) could remain unfilled if manufacturers can’t address skills gaps. Carolyn Lee, President and Executive Director of the Manufacturing Institute, says, “Companies must prioritize technology, training and talent development, and the investments that are driving growth will also require the industry to build out a talent ecosystem. A whole host of new talent will be on the factory floor and driving the next wave of growth.”

According to research from Go Banking Rates, and based on details from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these opportunities offer high-growth and high pay in manufacturing:

1. Statisticians – Median Annual Salary: $103,300. The growth rate for numbers experts is projected to grow by 12% through 2033 across all sectors. That’s 3x the growth rate for other occupations during the same period.
2. Data Scientists – Median Annual Salary: $112,590. Scientists are in high demand, according to BLS data. The projected growth rate is 36% – a 300% increase over the demand for statisticians.
3. Logisticians – Median Annual Salary: $80,880. Logisticians (think “supply chain and logistics professionals”) manage the flow of goods and information from suppliers to consumers, or businesses, ensuring products are available at the right time and place. This role touches on purchasing, inventory, transportation, warehousing and delivery – every aspect of the supply chain. Jobs here are predicted to grow by 19% through 2033.
4. Engineers – Median Annual Salary: Varies. A mechanical engineer earns, on average, $102K per year, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. However, the median salary for a computer hardware engineer is $155,020. The manufacturing sector is predicted to need various skill sets and specialties from engineers.
5. Computer and Information Systems Managers – Median Annual Salary: $171,200. With a projected growth rate of 17% through 2033, and a salary that’s north of $170K per year, information systems roles are lucrative opportunities.
6. Software Developers – Median Annual Salary: $133,080. Growth rate for this high-paying career is projected at 18% through 2033. But be warned: many larger companies, like Meta and Microsoft, are reducing their workforce around software developers. As artificial intelligence takes over many software development tasks, these projections might not hold in the future.
7. Industrial Maintenance Technicians – Median Annual Salary: $63,670. The need for workers to address maintenance issues continues, with projected growth rates of 15% for this career.

Beyond Jobs, A Growing Concern: Access

Meanwhile, 4.3 million Gen Z workers are struggling to find direction in an uncertain job market. Over 4 million Gen Z adults in the U.S. are not in school, working or in job training. Could manufacturing be a potential career opportunity? To be sure, many of the gigs on this list require advanced degrees, and experience levels that might not be readily accessed by new entrants into the workforce. The real story here isn’t the amount of high-paying jobs in manufacturing. It’s a story of access, particularly for Gen Z. Access requires skills, to be sure. But also desire.

In a Measure of America study, the Social Science Research Council tracks something called “disconnection” – a reflection of adults not in the workforce, in training or in school. For leaders interested in shaping the future, providing a pathway to reconnection is the key. Opportunities in both blue-collar and white-collar roles seem to be on an upward trend in manufacturing. Connecting skill sets to the opportunities is the challenge for leaders who are focused on attraction and retention.

Prioritizing Training for Manufacturing Jobs

For leaders today, there’s never been a greater need for talent development and training. Practical skills are vital for today’s workforce, as the value of a college degree continues to be a source of serious debate for many. The opportunities in manufacturing support new initiatives from the current administration, to drive domestic manufacturing investment. But just as a new factory can’t be built overnight, it takes time for the workforce to adjust to new opportunities. And, for many workers, that adjustment is complicated by a loss of trust in the job market.

With a proliferation of ghost jobs, and consistent stories from workers who have been searching for jobs for months or years, a Catch-22 emerges. Candidates are crispy: frustrated by trying to find an employment opportunity they can trust. How to tailor training for the future of work is one issue among many, as advancements in technology might defy the stats listed up above. For example, it’s clear that Data Scientists have a rosy outlook and good salaries. But do workers have this skillset, or want to devote their careers to this line of work? Seeing opportunity doesn’t mean you can instantly fulfill the gig – or that you would want to. In the job market, a large gap of disconnection remains between roles and desires, as salaries and statistics don’t always tell the whole story.