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The Maintenance Management Blog

December 10, 2015

Here's Why Choosing A Career In Manufacturing Is Right For You

Career In Manufacturing

Watching the news, you would think that pursuing a career in the manufacturing industry was not a great idea, unless you live in a country other than the United States. However, looks (and the news) can be deceiving. The fact of the matter is, choosing the manufacturing path is not only good for you but good for the country and the rest of the world as well!

Believe it or not, there are nearly 15 million Americans directly employed by the manufacturing industry here in the States. To put that number in perspective, it is roughly 10% of the workforce. That number becomes even more impressive when we look at the average salary that those same workers make: more than $75,000 each year. Compare that to the average worker (a little more than $60,000 per year) and you can quickly see one major reason why you should consider pursuing a career in manufacturing: You can make a pretty decent living compared to other industries.

Studies have shown that the United States, once a chief innovator, is falling behind the rest of the world in several key areas that are vital to the future of America's prosperity. One area is in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education and jobs. While the job growth for these careers is steady and looks to be growing as a trend, more and more employers are having difficulty finding workers with the proper education and training in these pivotal areas.

This lack of "able bodies" has two effects. First, it increases job availability and income possibilities in fields such as manufacturing. Second, it forces businesses in the United States to turn to other countries for workers. The latter is a definite negative for our current (and future) generation(s).

Fortunately, there is a push for today's youth to choose STEM-based education, and there are programs out there trying to guide manufacturing"s future worker base in a direction that will hopefully keep America as a chief innovator on the world stage.

Outside of "saving" America's future and having the ability to earn a good salary compared to the average Joe, there are some other good reasons to work in manufacturing. One of them is the fact that it can be a highly rewarding career choice on a personal level. Manufacturing workers are hard-working individuals who, at the end of the day, work to create something useful for the world. Whether that be a new tablet, the latest medical miracle, or a box of delicious cookies, the fact remains that there is something satisfying about "creating" something and feeling like a part of the wheel that keeps the world spinning.

To take that a step further, manufacturing companies here in the United States are responsible for more than three-fourths of all private-sector research and development (R&D) in the country. That means that with the proper education and training, you could help discover a new medical product or piece of technology that changes the way the world works. Think, for example, of Steve Jobs from Apple. While the iPhone may seem like a simple gadget, it revolutionized the communication world and the way we function in everyday life.

These are just a few reasons you and your children should consider a career in the manufacturing industry!

 

Lisa Richards

About the Author – Lisa Richards

Lisa Richards is an experienced professional in the field of industrial management and is an avid blogger about maintenance management systems and productivity innovation. Richards' undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering opened the door for her initial career path with a Midwest-based agricultural implement manufacturer with global market reach. Over a span of 10 years, Lisa worked her way through various staff leadership positions in the manufacturing process until reaching the operations manager level at a construction and forestry equipment facility. Lisa excelled at increasing productivity while maintaining or lowering operating budgets for her plant sites.

An Illinois native, Lisa recently returned to her suburban Chicago North Shore hometown to raise her family. Lisa has chosen to be active in her community and schools while her two young girls begin their own journey through life. Richards has now joined the MAPCON team as an educational outreach writer in support of their efforts to inform maintenance management specialists about the advantages in marrying advanced maintenance software with cutting-edge facility and industrial management strategies.

Filed under: career in manufacturing — Lisa Richards on December 10, 2015