Is a Manufacturing Career a Dead End? Actually, No.

Hytrol is in the business of manufacturing, and look—people often have the wrong idea about it. There have been some alarming studies out there about what people think of when they think about careers in manufacturing. They think it’s dirty work. They think it’s not exciting. They think it’s not well-paying.

But here’s some news: that is simply not true about today’s industry. Take a look at these common misconceptions—and what manufacturing means today.

Manufacturing is safe

It’s not the 1940s anymore, but the public’s view of manufacturing hasn’t kept up with the times. Gone are the days of dirty manufacturing environments, consisting solely of backbreaking labor. Today’s manufacturing industry is full of technological advancements and automation that make jobs safer and protect employees from injury.

Some jobs may still require repetitive tasks, but today we are constantly pushing the boundaries, creating new opportunities and tasks for employees. Career advancement is commonplace, and many companies have programs to help employees grow professionally.

Manufacturing is important

Maybe I’m using the term “important” too loosely, because manufacturing isn’t just important to the U.S. economy—it’s absolutely crucial. Every manufacturing job supports another job. After all, you can’t sell a car without it being built in the first place.

There are more than 12 million manufacturing jobs in America. Those jobs support more than 18 million more. In addition, every $1 spent in the manufacturing sector adds $1.40 to the economy. It really is the backbone of the economy.

Manufacturing skillsets are desirable

With more technological advancements comes more opportunity. Skilled workers like welders and machinists are already important, and they can expect to see their roles increase even more in importance in the next several years. An estimated 2 million jobs in manufacturing may be unfilled in the next 10 years—that makes these skills very desirable for employers, and an incredible choice when thinking about a career.

Manufacturing pays well

There was a time when manufacturing jobs were low-paying, with benefits that didn’t make the grade. But today, work in this sector pays 20 percent more than service sector jobs, and is over 15 percent higher hourly pay than any other industry.

Even more important, many of these jobs can be attained with little to no debt. Welding, fabrication, assembly, machinists and more can train for skillsets without the heavy loans attached to traditional college careers. That frees these employees up to use their money the way they want to—not repaying tens of thousands of dollars.

Manufacturing is important to the economy—but more than that, it’s a great career choice. Choosing manufacturing, and especially the skilled jobs in manufacturing, provides stability and advancement in a career that you can have for the rest of your life.