(blog.thomasnet.com April 26, 2016) Everyone who works in manufacturing knows that it’s one of the coolest industries to be in right now. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a millennial making an impact, there’s a lot to love about manufacturing. Here are some reasons why.
Contributing To The Economy
The manufacturing industry helps support the global and national economies, as well as individuals and families. In fact, Hytrol reports:
– There are 17.6 million manufacturing jobs across the United States
– For every job held in manufacturing, 2.91 jobs are created in another sector
– Every dollar spent on manufacturing equates to $1.37 contributed to the economy overall
– One in every six jobs in the U.S. is a manufacturing position
Clearly, manufacturing is having a big impact on jobs, livelihoods and the economy. That’s something to be proud of.
On The Cutting Edge
We’ve talked about this at length before, but manufacturing has always been on the cutting edge of technology. 3D printing, drones, and the Internet of Things are just the latest examples of manufacturing companies adopting new technology long before the public gets their hands on it. And, for all the tech heads in the industry, that is the best reason to get up and go to work each day. It’s good to be ahead of the curve.
Exciting Sectors Of Work
For some, relaying details about their jobs may be met with disinterest and boredom. But that’s not the case for those in manufacturing who can regale friends about developments in aerospace, share the latest in food manufacturing with families over Thanksgiving dinner, or tell neighbors about the newest pharmaceuticals they are processing. With so much excitement within the industry, you’ll have plenty of awesome information to share with those outside of it.
Show Me The Money
It may be a little taboo to talk about, but the pay within manufacturing is nothing to scoff at. As of 2014, the average wage of someone in manufacturing is $77,000 a year, far above the minimum wage many believe blue collar workers receive. Additionally, benefits and high job tenure allow you to lead a comfortable life with a job that doesn’t make you take your work home.
It’s Totally Safe
A huge myth the industry has been fighting for decades is how unsafe manufacturing is. And for a long time, it absolutely was a high risk career path plagued by chemicals, machines, and other hazards. But we’ve come a long way. Robots are making our jobs safer, and technology like the Internet of Things and automation keeps us out of harms way. We are working smarter, and safer, than ever before.
Fruits Of Your Labor
One of the great benefits to working in this industry is the fact that you are often working on real, tangible products. Whether working on every day items you can buy at the store or huge set pieces for blockbuster movies, you can point to something and get the very satisfying pleasure of saying “I made that.” That’s more than most service or white collar jobs can say.
Room To Grow
Once you choose a sector to go into, there are plenty of options for your career path. From fabrication and welding to research and distribution, the possibilities seem endless. There is always room to grow and advance your career.
There are also jobs within the manufacturing sector for those from other disciplines, such as sales and business development, marketing, human resources, and many others. These positions afford all of the benefits of working in manufacturing – the pride, stability, competitive salaries, excitement, great technology and others – to people from many different backgrounds. Not every industry can boast of the same potential and flexibility.
