The pandemic slowed down many business areas while increasing the demand for some manufactured goods. Because the government considered certain products essential, some subsectors in manufacturing companies grew and experienced increased production rates. Higher demand in this sector increased wages and made talent acquisition even more important. Top Workplaces in Manufacturing understand that better compensation and benefits attract top talent.
People looking for excellent job opportunities in this sector have many options to find a job. According to Monster, the average “Manufacturing Occupations” salary is $88,406. Please note that position salaries increase with leadership experience and range based on individuals’ skills. Based on data from Monster and Salary.com, here are the average salaries for positions in the manufacturing industry.
Please note: Senior managers and supervisor positions make more than the figures shown.
8 Highest Paying Manufacturing Jobs (Degree Required)
Human resources generalist
Human resources generalists usually oversee daily HR tasks like employee compensation and benefits, training programs, new employee hiring, and performance evaluations. HR teams can motivate, support, and teach people, making them crucial for company culture. This field will continue growing as many people make career transitions in the next few years.
- Average yearly salary: $62,000
- Skills required: employee relations, HR Information Systems, recruiting, benefits administration, computer skills
Entry-level manufacturing engineer
Entry-level manufacturing engineers design efficient manufacturing processes. Experts in industrial production and manufacturing engineers constantly think of new ways to improve workflows and integrate modern technology.
- Average yearly salary: $73,000
- Skills required: manufacturing process engineering, process improvement, lean manufacturing, project management, engineering design
Cost estimator
Cost estimators analyze and collect data to calculate how much time, money, raw materials, and workforce labor it takes for manufacturing projects. They use data to inform future project decisions and work closely with architects, contractors, construction managers, designers, and engineers. These manufacturing professionals respond to manufacturing proposals by estimating a project’s cost.
- Average yearly salary: $86,000
- Skills required: math, blueprints, construction estimating, data analysis, engineering design
Operations manager
Operations managers oversee production, including the purchasing, warehousing, and manufacturing departments. These manufacturing professionals ensure operations run smoothly, manage budgets, and enforce safety regulations. Daily tasks may include meeting with labor unions, community groups, and government organizations to ensure healthy communication about all manufacturing projects.
- Average yearly salary: $111,000
- Skills required: operations management, people management, leadership, project management, customer service
Human resources manager
Human resources managers oversee employee policies, procedures, and compliance. This role is one of the highest-paying jobs in manufacturing because these individuals make company recommendations to ensure their company offers the most competitive benefits and salary packages.
- Average yearly salary: $113,000
- Skills required: employee relations, benefits, and compensation, performance management, payroll administration, program management
Mechanical engineer
Mechanical engineers also participate in the planning and manufacturing products by designing, developing, testing, and surveying mechanical devices. One of the highest-paying manufacturing jobs, Mechanical engineers make project recommendations based on appearance, budget, function, and safety.
- Average yearly salary: $119,000
- Skills required: engineering design, SolidWorks, Computer-Aided Design, project management, subject matter expertise
Manufacturing manager
Manufacturing managers help to plan, schedule, and manage manufacturing processes. Manufacturing managers can work as office executives on manufacturing floors and within manufacturing warehouses. Their primary function is to improve the production process of commercial or consumer goods. These top-paying manufacturing jobs require experience.
- Average yearly salary: $120,000
- Skills required: production management, operations management, leadership, lean manufacturing, safety compliance
Information technology manager
Information technology managers are among the best-paying manufacturing jobs requiring a degree. These managers supervise the company’s computer infrastructure, employee data usage, and all the security and software platforms used by the company. This role’s technical requirements are listed below.
- Average yearly salary: $146,360
- Skills required: network management and administration, project management, IT security and infrastructure, IT support, people management
5 Highest paying manufacturing jobs (no degree required)
Computer numeric controlled machine operator
CNC Machine Operators run computer numeric controlled production equipment. These computer experts use CNC technology and other shop machines to improve assembly or production. CNC operators can attend technical school before starting, but this position does not require earlier education.
- Average yearly salary: $35,000
- Skills required: CNC/NC, machine operation, precision measurement, blueprints, quality assurance, and control
Entry-level safety technician
An entry-level safety technician is one of the best-paying jobs in manufacturing without a degree. These manufacturing professionals can help with safety inspections, managing dangerous procedures, recommending new processes, and overseeing equipment inventory and availability.
- Average yearly salary: $38,000
- Skills required: troubleshooting, plant maintenance, manufacturing tools, data collection, company, state, and federal safety procedures
Production control clerk
Production control clerks perform many activities, including monitoring materials, orders, production schedules, performance, and shipment schedules. This role does not require a degree and offers many possible career paths in the manufacturing industry.
- Average yearly salary: $44,000
- Skills required: production support, inventory control, data processing, data entry, organization
Assembly Team Leader
Assembly team leaders are some of the highest-paying jobs in manufacturing that do not need a degree. These team leaders supervise other people and ensure a company’s operations function as efficiently as possible. Assembly team leaders’ responsibilities can vary between different companies and production processes.
- Average yearly salary: $47,000
- Skills required: team leadership, operations management, people management, budget management, risk control
Production line operations supervisor
Production Supervisors often work in manufacturing and industrial facilities, supervising an entire operation or specific plant divisions. These professionals have some of the highest-paying jobs in manufacturing because they can wear many hats and hold many responsibilities surrounding the production process.
- Average yearly salary: $57,000
- Skills required: production management, leadership, people management, problem-solving, Autodesk AutoCAD
Find a manufacturing career you’ll love with Top Workplaces
Putting your skills to beneficial use in a career you enjoy is essential. You are more likely to find a job you’ll love using your skills, so you must show your strengths and find a role and company that values them as much as you do.
Now is the perfect time to find a new job in the manufacturing industry. You can find a great place to work at one of the best manufacturing companies by checking out the Top Workplaces Manufacturing Award.
