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

Forbes

26-05-2025

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:
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.
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.