Last updated: March 2, 2026
Manufacturing Employment by State (2025-2026): Jobs, Wages & Workforce Data
The United States employed nearly 12.6 million manufacturing workers as of January 2026, but those jobs are distributed unevenly across states. California leads in raw job count with 1.2 million manufacturing positions, yet Indiana claims the highest manufacturing concentration, with nearly 1 in 5 private-sector jobs tied to the factory floor. Whether you need state-level manufacturing workforce planning data, competitive site selection research, or a benchmark for labor cost analysis, this resource compiles the latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in one place.
This page covers manufacturing employment totals by state (December 2025, seasonally adjusted), employment concentration, location quotients, and manufacturing share of total employment for the best states for manufacturing, average hourly and weekly earnings for production workers (2024 annual averages), and the dominant manufacturing industries in each state. Every figure links to its primary source.
National Manufacturing Employment at a Glance
12.59M
Total US manufacturing employees, January 2026
$36.07
Average hourly earnings, all manufacturing workers (Dec 2025)
9.5%
Manufacturing's share of US value-added GDP (Q3 2025)
$106,691
Average annual compensation (wages + benefits) per manufacturing worker, 2024
Table of Contents
- National Manufacturing Employment Overview
- Manufacturing Jobs by State (December 2025)
- Manufacturing Concentration: States Where Manufacturing Dominates
- Manufacturing Wages by State (2024)
- Top Manufacturing Industry by State
- Regional Trends and Geographic Shifts
- Manufacturing Job Openings and Hiring Data
- Manufacturing Employment Outlook 2026-2033
- Cite This Data
- Sources
National Manufacturing Employment Overview
US manufacturing employment has stabilized near 12.6 million workers following its post-pandemic recovery. The sector reached a low of roughly 11.5 million jobs in April 2020 during pandemic shutdowns, rebounded to pre-pandemic levels by late 2022, and has since plateaued. As of Jan 2026, manufacturing employed 12,590,000 workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics establishment survey and monthly employment situation news release, up slightly from December 2025's preliminary figure of 12,585,000.
The sector's pre-pandemic average (2017-2019) was 12,613,000 employees, meaning current employment remains slightly below that benchmark despite significant investment in domestic manufacturing capacity. The gap reflects structural changes, including automation adoption, productivity improvements, and evolving skill requirements rather than a simple output decline. Manufacturing remains the backbone of the US industrial economy. The US is the largest manufacturing economy in the Americas and second-largest globally, with approximately 239,265 manufacturing establishment locations in operation as of 2022 (Census Bureau).
8.777M
Production Workers
Non-supervisory manufacturing employees, January 2026 (BLS)
3.5%
Manufacturing Unemployment Rate
January 2026, vs. 4.3% overall US rate (BLS)
433,000
Manufacturing Job Openings
December 2025, in line with pre-pandemic averages (BLS JOLTS)
Average hourly earnings for all manufacturing employees reached $36.07 in December 2025, up 4.4% year-over-year. For production and non-supervisory workers specifically, earnings were $29.51 per hour, also up 4.2% from the prior December. Including pay and benefits, the average total compensation for manufacturing workers reached $106,691 in 2024, compared to $90,601 for all private nonfarm industries.
Manufacturing's economic multiplier is among the highest of any sector. According to NAM calculations using 2024 IMPLAN data, for every $1.00 spent in manufacturing, $2.69 in total economic impact flows through the broader economy. For every one manufacturing worker, five additional jobs are supported across the US economy.
Benefits Coverage
Manufacturers lead all industries in employee health benefits coverage. In 2025, 95% of manufacturing employees were eligible for employer-provided health insurance, compared to the 80% average across all firms, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation Employer Health Benefits Survey.
Manufacturing Jobs by State (December 2025)
The table below shows seasonally adjusted manufacturing employment for all 50 states as of December 2025, ranked by total manufacturing jobs. The underlying data come from the BLS database at BLS Current Employment Statistics state-level data release, with average hourly earnings for production workers from the BLS State Annual Averages table.
| Rank | State | Mfg Jobs (000s) | Total Nonfarm (000s) | Avg Hourly Wage (2024) | Avg Weekly Earnings (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 1,202.3 | 18,021.2 | $30.51 | $1,229.55 |
| 2 | Texas | 969.5 | 14,341.0 | $30.42 | $1,320.23 |
| 3 | Ohio | 692.9 | 5,708.9 | $26.56 | $1,088.96 |
| 4 | Michigan | 596.6 | 4,543.3 | $27.92 | $1,105.63 |
| 5 | Illinois | 566.2 | 6,159.3 | $25.82 | $1,032.80 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 561.7 | 6,257.4 | $26.66 | $1,087.73 |
| 7 | Indiana | 518.8 | 3,278.3 | $25.88 | $1,045.55 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 460.3 | 3,054.3 | $26.33 | $1,005.81 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 453.3 | 5,125.0 | $23.31 | $923.08 |
| 10 | Georgia | 430.4 | 4,991.7 | $23.97 | $992.36 |
| 11 | Florida | 426.7 | 10,042.1 | $29.83 | $1,229.00 |
| 12 | New York | 405.9 | 10,020.4 | $27.71 | $1,105.63 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 360.6 | 3,408.9 | $24.54 | $986.51 |
| 14 | Minnesota | 326.5 | 3,068.5 | $28.50 | $1,111.50 |
| 15 | Alabama | 287.1 | 2,211.2 | $24.50 | $1,011.85 |
| 16 | Missouri | 279.1 | 3,052.8 | $27.65 | $1,122.59 |
| 17 | Washington | 271.2 | 3,662.0 | $32.35 | $1,274.59 |
| 18 | South Carolina | 260.8 | 2,417.3 | $25.83 | $981.54 |
| 19 | New Jersey | 256.0 | 4,402.2 | $25.62 | $1,045.30 |
| 20 | Kentucky | 254.5 | 2,051.1 | $26.22 | $1,088.13 |
| 21 | Virginia | 235.5 | 4,262.2 | $26.45 | $1,042.13 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | 229.7 | 3,723.5 | $28.73 | $1,097.49 |
| 23 | Iowa | 215.7 | 1,595.5 | $25.05 | $1,022.04 |
| 24 | Arizona | 191.3 | 3,264.6 | $25.91 | $1,077.86 |
| 25 | Oregon | 177.4 | 2,005.2 | $29.15 | $1,166.00 |
| 26 | Kansas | 175.0 | 1,457.5 | $23.98 | $947.21 |
| 27 | Arkansas | 165.3 | 1,392.9 | $22.44 | $843.74 |
| 28 | Utah | 154.2 | 1,784.6 | $27.02 | $1,067.29 |
| 29 | Connecticut | 152.8 | 1,713.9 | $31.38 | $1,217.54 |
| 30 | Colorado | 149.5 | 3,000.1 | $32.52 | $1,209.74 |
| 31 | Louisiana | 143.9 | 2,012.4 | $29.49 | $1,350.64 |
| 32 | Mississippi | 141.2 | 1,203.8 | $22.52 | $912.06 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | 140.3 | 1,808.7 | $26.35 | $1,088.26 |
| 34 | Maryland | 108.4 | 2,828.2 | $26.72 | $1,092.85 |
| 35 | Nebraska | 101.7 | 1,055.3 | $25.65 | $1,018.31 |
| 36 | Idaho | 76.3 | 885.9 | $24.03 | $934.77 |
| 37 | Nevada | 67.8 | 1,571.4 | $22.66 | $861.08 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | 67.6 | 705.6 | $27.35 | $1,022.89 |
| 39 | Maine | 51.7 | 654.1 | $27.39 | $1,076.43 |
| 40 | West Virginia | 44.7 | 713.8 | $25.19 | $967.30 |
| 41 | South Dakota | 44.0 | 473.1 | $25.07 | $980.24 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | 40.4 | 513.1 | $25.86 | $1,052.50 |
| 43 | New Mexico | 29.2 | 904.3 | $24.58 | $921.75 |
| 44 | North Dakota | 28.7 | 449.0 | $26.42 | $1,033.02 |
| 45 | Vermont | 26.9 | 314.2 | $26.14 | $975.02 |
| 46 | Delaware | 26.2 | 496.1 | $28.25 | $1,146.95 |
| 47 | Montana | 19.8 | 532.4 | $23.69 | $859.95 |
| 48 | Hawaii | 13.0 | 653.2 | $29.33 | $1,164.40 |
| 49 | Alaska | 11.8 | 337.9 | $25.05 | $796.59 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 10.6 | 295.4 | $33.77 | $1,398.08 |
Sources: BLS Current Employment Statistics (Dec 2025, seasonally adjusted); BLS State Hours and Earnings Annual Averages Table 3 (2024). Employment figures in thousands.
Top 5 States by Manufacturing Employment (December 2025)
- California: 1,202,300 manufacturing workers. Tech-heavy mix including computer/electronics and aerospace. Highest absolute job count but below-average concentration (8.7% of private employment).
- Texas: 969,500 manufacturing workers. Strong in fabricated metals, chemicals, and petroleum refining. Growing rapidly, particularly in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth metro areas.
- Ohio: 692,900 manufacturing workers. Transportation equipment anchors the sector, with automotive, aerospace, and industrial machinery all significant. Concentration of 14.6% is well above the 9.9% national average.
- Illinois: 566,200 manufacturing workers. Diversified base led by food manufacturing, fabricated metals, and machinery. Chicago's proximity to rail and logistics infrastructure supports a broad supplier ecosystem.
- Michigan: 596,600 manufacturing workers. Auto manufacturing capital of the US. Transportation equipment accounts for a dominant share, though EV transition is reshaping the supply chain.
Other top states by jobs include North Carolina (453,300), Wisconsin (460,300), Tennessee (360,600), and Georgia (430,400). These states form the core of the US manufacturing base, with combined employment exceeding 1.9 million workers across diverse manufacturing industries from food processing to aerospace.
Manufacturing Concentration: States Where Manufacturing Dominates
Raw employment counts favor large-population states. Manufacturing employment per capita varies widely by state. A more meaningful measure for site selection and workforce planning is the location quotient (LQ), which compares the concentration of manufacturing employment in a state to the national average. An LQ above 1.0 means manufacturing is more concentrated in that state than the US norm.
The BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2022) provides the most recent state-level LQ data. Indiana leads the nation with an LQ of 2.04, meaning manufacturing is twice as concentrated there as in the US overall.
| State | Location Quotient | Mfg % of Private Employment | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 2.04 | 19.8% | 2.04x the national average |
| Wisconsin | 1.95 | 19% | 1.95x the national average |
| Iowa | 1.71 | 17.2% | 1.71x the national average |
| Alabama | 1.59 | 16.5% | 1.59x the national average |
| Michigan | 1.65 | 16.1% | 1.65x the national average |
| Mississippi | 1.52 | 16.1% | 1.52x the national average |
| Arkansas | 1.53 | 15.4% | 1.53x the national average |
| Kentucky | 1.54 | 15.4% | 1.54x the national average |
| South Carolina | 1.41 | 14.2% | 1.41x the national average |
| Kansas | 1.43 | 14.7% | 1.43x the national average |
Source: BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2022 (most recent published LQ data). National average = 1.00 (9.9% of private employment).
What Location Quotient Means for Your Business
A high LQ signals a deep labor pool with manufacturing-specific skills, an established supplier base, and infrastructure built around industrial operations. Indiana, Wisconsin, and Iowa all exceed 1.9x the national concentration, which translates to lower hiring friction, more experienced workforce candidates, and a supplier ecosystem that can respond to production needs quickly.
The District of Columbia has the lowest manufacturing concentration of any jurisdiction (LQ of 0.02), followed by Hawaii (LQ 0.24). States with low LQs (Florida, Maryland, Nevada, Hawaii) are not necessarily bad for manufacturing, but manufacturers there compete harder for skilled workers with less-manufacturing-oriented labor markets. Wage premiums may be required to attract and retain production talent in low-concentration states.
States Below National Manufacturing Concentration Average
These states have a location quotient below 1.0, meaning manufacturing represents a smaller share of their workforce than the 9.9% US average:
Manufacturing Wages by State (2024 Annual Averages)
The data below are annual average hourly earnings for production and non-supervisory workers on manufacturing payrolls by state, from the BLS State Annual Averages Table 3. These figures reflect 2024 annual averages (January-December 2024). For all manufacturing employees (including supervisory), the national average hourly earnings were $36.07 as of December 2025.
Top 10 States by Manufacturing Hourly Wage (2024)
| Rank | State | Avg Hourly (2024) | Avg Weekly (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $33.77 | $1,398.08 |
| 2 | Colorado | $32.52 | $1,209.74 |
| 3 | Washington | $32.35 | $1,274.59 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $31.38 | $1,217.54 |
| 5 | California | $30.51 | $1,229.55 |
| 6 | Texas | $30.42 | $1,320.23 |
| 7 | Florida | $29.83 | $1,229.00 |
| 8 | Louisiana | $29.49 | $1,350.64 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $29.33 | $1,164.40 |
| 10 | Oregon | $29.15 | $1,166.00 |
Wage Trends: 2022 to 2024
Manufacturing wages rose broadly from 2022 to 2024. Wyoming production workers saw wages climb from $29.46 to $33.77 per hour (+14.6%), while Louisiana production workers rose from $23.37 to $29.49 (+26.2%), partly reflecting the state's large petrochemical and refining sector. Colorado and Oregon also posted strong gains in the mid-18% range, driven in part by technology and electronics manufacturing expansion.
States with the lowest 2024 wages for production manufacturing workers include Arkansas ($22.44/hr), Mississippi ($22.52/hr), Nevada ($22.66/hr), and Montana ($23.69/hr). The gap between the lowest-wage state (Arkansas at $22.44) and the highest (Wyoming at $33.77) represents a 50% differential for similar production roles.
Weekly Hours: Louisiana Leads, Alaska Lags
Average weekly hours vary considerably by state. Louisiana production workers averaged 45.8 hours per week in 2024, the highest in the nation and well above the national manufacturing average of roughly 40 hours. This reflects long shifts common in continuous-process chemical and refining facilities. Alaska averaged 31.8 hours, the lowest, consistent with its seasonal and part-time employment mix in food processing. Long hours in Louisiana amplify its already strong weekly earnings advantage despite mid-range hourly rates.
Top Manufacturing Industry by State
Every state has a dominant manufacturing subsector that accounts for the largest share of its manufacturing employment. Transportation equipment manufacturing and food manufacturing together dominate most of the country. The data below are from the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.
Transportation Equipment Dominant States
Automotive, aerospace, rail, shipbuilding
Food Manufacturing Dominant States
Meat packing, dairy, grain processing, beverage
Computer & Electronics Dominant States
Semiconductors, defense electronics, medical devices
Chemical / Fabricated Metal / Machinery States
Specialty chemical, industrial equipment, metalworking
Indiana: A Case Study in Manufacturing Depth
Indiana offers the clearest illustration of manufacturing depth. Transportation equipment accounts for the largest share of the state's manufacturing employment, but the sector is far more diversified than that single figure suggests. Fabricated metal products (10.4%) and food manufacturing are also significant. With 1 in 5 private-sector jobs in manufacturing and a location quotient of 2.04, Indiana's labor market, educational infrastructure, and supply chain ecosystem are all oriented toward industrial production in ways that are hard to replicate in lower-concentration states.
For manufacturers evaluating expansion or relocation, Indiana's combination of manufacturing depth, competitive wages (production workers averaging $25.88/hr in 2024), and central US logistics position makes it one of the most frequently shortlisted states for new facility investments.
Regional Trends and Geographic Shifts
US manufacturing employment geography has been shifting meaningfully since 2019. Sun Belt metropolitan areas were the primary drivers of net manufacturing job creation from 2019 to 2024, according to analytics published by Agglomeration Economics research group, with Sun Belt metros adding a net 127,000 manufacturing jobs over that period. Coastal metro areas, by contrast, experienced net declines.
Growing Regions
- Sun Belt (Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina): Led by automotive EV investment, semiconductor fabs, and logistics-driven warehousing. Texas alone added tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs from 2019 to 2024, anchored by Samsung's semiconductor plant and Tesla's Gigafactory.
- Mountain West (Utah, Idaho, Arizona): Semiconductor, defense, and food processing driving above-average growth rates relative to small base sizes.
- Midwest Bright Spots: McLean County, Illinois added 7,100 manufacturing jobs from 2019-2023 driven by Rivian's EV expansion, according to the Economic Innovation Group.
Declining or Flat Regions
- Traditional Rust Belt counties: Some areas remain below their 2019 and even 2001 peak levels. Calhoun County, Michigan (Battle Creek/Marshall) still had 1,000 fewer manufacturing jobs than in 2019 as of 2023.
- Coastal states: California, New York, and New England saw net manufacturing job declines in recent years. Coastal metro areas lost a net 37,000 manufacturing jobs in 2024 alone, a 2.2% decline from 2023.
The CHIPS Act and Infrastructure Law Effect
The CHIPS and Science Act (2022) and the Inflation Reduction Act (2022) injected significant capital toward domestic semiconductor, EV battery, and clean energy manufacturing. States like Arizona (TSMC), Ohio (Intel), New York (Micron), and Georgia (EV battery) are among the top beneficiaries of this policy-driven investment cycle. These investments are expected to add tens of thousands of new manufacturing positions over 2025-2028, with the full employment effect concentrated in states that were not traditionally manufacturing powerhouses.
According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, by July 2024 manufacturing employment was only about 1% above its January 2019 pre-pandemic level, suggesting that the policy investment cycle has yet to fully convert capital commitments into employment gains. Construction of new semiconductor and battery fabs typically precedes hiring by 2-3 years.
Manufacturing Job Openings and Hiring Data
Manufacturing job openings totaled 433,000 in December 2025, according to the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). This is in line with the pre-pandemic average of 432,000 openings per month (2017-2019), but well below the elevated 2021-2023 range where openings averaged 756,000 per month as manufacturers scrambled to rebuild workforces post-pandemic.
433,000
Manufacturing job openings (Dec 2025)
189,000
Manufacturing hires (Dec 2025)
245,000
Manufacturing separations (Dec 2025)
The ratio of hires to separations in December 2025 (189,000 hires vs. 245,000 separations) indicates net employment attrition in that month. Manufacturing hires can fluctuate significantly with seasonal production cycles, particularly in food processing, auto assembly model changeovers, and consumer goods manufacturing.
Manufacturing Unemployment Rate vs. National Average
The manufacturing unemployment rate (which measures former manufacturing workers in the labor force actively seeking work) was 3.5% in January 2026, slightly above November-December 2025 readings of 3.3% and 3.1%, but below the overall US unemployment rate of 4.3%. This below-average unemployment rate reflects strong demand for manufacturing workers relative to available supply, particularly for skilled trades, CNC machining, quality control, and process engineering roles.
Manufacturing Employment Outlook 2026-2033
The most-cited labor demand projection for manufacturing comes from a joint study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute: over the next decade, 3.8 million manufacturing jobs will likely be needed in the United States. Of those, an estimated 1.9 million positions may go unfilled if the industry cannot attract sufficient new talent.
Drivers of Job Demand
- Retirements: 2.8 million of the projected 3.8 million openings will come from baby boomer retirements over the next decade.
- Industry growth: 760,000 additional positions from output expansion, including semiconductor, EV, and advanced manufacturing.
- Policy-driven jobs: Approximately 230,000 positions created through CHIPS Act, IRA, and infrastructure legislation.
Talent Challenges
- Primary challenge: Attracting and retaining talent was cited as the top business challenge by more than 48% of respondents in NAM's Q2 2025 Manufacturers' Outlook Survey.
- Skills gap: Digital skills, CNC programming, robotics operation, and process engineering are among the hardest roles to fill, especially in states with below-average manufacturing concentration.
- Perception barrier: Surveys consistently show that many young workers underestimate manufacturing wages and career advancement, contributing to a pipeline shortage.
The combination of a large retirement wave, skills gap, and policy-driven investment surge makes the manufacturing labor market structurally tight through the late 2020s regardless of macroeconomic conditions. For manufacturers planning workforce strategy by state, the states with the highest manufacturing concentration (Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Alabama) offer the deepest talent pipelines, while Sun Belt states with newer investment profiles (Georgia, Texas, South Carolina) are building talent infrastructure to match their rapid employment growth.
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If you reference this resource in a report, article, or presentation, please use the following citation:
Manufacturing Lead Generation. "Manufacturing Employment by State (2025-2026): Jobs, Wages and Industry Data." ManufacturingLeadGeneration.com, March 2, 2026. https://manufacturingleadgeneration.com/manufacturing-employment-by-state/ To download the raw data tables, visit the BLS website. Primary underlying data sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Association of Manufacturers, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Deloitte/Manufacturing Institute. See sources section below for full citations.
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (CES). "Industry Employment by State, December 2025, Seasonally Adjusted." bls.gov/charts/state-employment-and-unemployment/industry-employment-by-state.htm
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, State Annual Averages. "Table 3. Average Hours and Earnings of Production Employees on Manufacturing Payrolls, by State (2022-2024)." bls.gov/sae/tables/annual-average/table-3-…
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. "A Look at Manufacturing Jobs on National Manufacturing Day (2022 data, published 2023)." bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/a-look-at-manufacturing-jobs-on-national-manufacturing-day.htm
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Manufacturing Sector Overview. "Manufacturing: NAICS 31-33 — Workforce Statistics, January 2026." bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag31-33.htm
- National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). "Facts About Manufacturing (Expanded), updated February 2026." Covers compensation, job openings, health benefits, multiplier effects. nam.org/mfgdata/facts-about-manufacturing-expanded/
- Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute. "Digital Skills Report (April 2024)." Projection of 3.8 million manufacturing jobs needed by 2033, with 1.9 million potentially unfilled. themanufacturinginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Digital_Skills_Report_April_2024.pdf
- Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE). "Manufacturing Employment Has Grown Slowly Since Returning to Pre-Pandemic Levels (September 2024)." piie.com/research/piie-charts/2024/manufacturing-employment-has-grown-slowly-returning-pre-pandemic-levels
- Economic Innovation Group. "Manufacturing Jobs Have Recovered, But Not Everywhere (September 2025)." County-level recovery analysis and Rust Belt trends. eig.org/manufacturing-rebound/
- Agglomeration Economics (via Substack). "The New Geography of Manufacturing Jobs: Coastal Collapse and a Sun Belt Surge (February 2025)." Metro-level analysis of Sun Belt job gains and coastal declines. agglomerations.substack.com/p/the-new-geography-of-manufacturing
- Kaiser Family Foundation. "Employer Health Benefits 2025 Annual Survey." Manufacturing health insurance eligibility and take-up rate data. files.kff.org/attachment/Employer-Health-Benefits-Survey-2025-Annual-Survey.pdf