Manufacturing · FF-006
U.S. Manufacturing Workforce & Earnings
Track manufacturing employment, earnings, hours, job openings, and production-worker pay using current Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Employment momentum
Manufacturing employment change
Net payroll change over 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month periods through July 2026.
What the data shows
Manufacturing employment is broadly flat, while pay continues to rise
Workforce comparison
Durable and nondurable manufacturing
Production and nonsupervisory employee measures are seasonally adjusted for July 2026.
| Workforce | Employment | Avg. hourly earnings | Avg. weekly hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| All manufacturing employees | 12.61M | $36.87 | 40.4 |
| Production & nonsupervisory | 8.75M | $30.35 | 41.7 |
| Durable-goods production workers | 5.32M | $32.31 | 42.3 |
| Nondurable-goods production workers | 3.43M | $27.21 | 40.9 |
Labor demand
477,000 manufacturing job openings in June 2026
Manufacturing occupations
Selected 2025 occupational pay benchmarks
Median wages for occupations commonly found in manufacturing, from BLS OEWS.
| Occupation | Median hourly wage | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Purchasing agents | $37.45 | $77,890 |
| Machinists | $28.14 | $58,540 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers & weighers | $23.69 | $49,270 |
| Team assemblers | $22.19 | $46,140 |
| Production worker helpers | $18.92 | $39,340 |
Methodology & source
About these figures
Employment, hours, and earnings come from the BLS Current Employment Statistics program. Job openings come from JOLTS. Occupational wage benchmarks come from the May 2025 OEWS release. The most recent CES and JOLTS values are preliminary and can be revised.
Primary sources: Employment Situation — July 2026 · BLS Manufacturing at a Glance · JOLTS — June 2026.
CalculateMeasure refresh: Aug. 22, 2026 · Review cadence: Monthly after BLS CES/JOLTS releases; occupational benchmarks reviewed annually after OEWS.
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