Best-Paying Jobs in Manufacturing (May 2025 BLS Wage Data)
- The median wage across all jobs in manufacturing was $55,080 in May 2025, above the $50,980 median for all U.S. jobs.
- The sector employed about 12,654,310 wage and salary workers.
- Its best-paid large occupation was chief executives, at a median of $263,290.
Pay depends on what you do and on who you do it for. This breakdown uses the BLS OEWS industry data, May 2025 (NAICS sector 31-33: Manufacturing) to show which jobs pay best in manufacturing, which jobs are open to people without a four-year degree, and what the most common jobs pay. Education levels come from BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Highest-paying jobs in the sector
Occupations with at least 5,000 jobs in the sector, ranked by median annual wage. The last column is the median for the same job across all industries (from the national cross-industry estimates).
| Occupation | Sector median | Jobs in sector | All-industry median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $263,290 | 10,990 | $213,990 |
| Lawyers | $236,630 | 5,090 | $159,670 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $185,110 | 9,270 | $167,220 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $178,110 | 43,350 | $175,140 |
| Marketing Managers | $171,490 | 31,460 | $166,790 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $169,690 | 77,280 | $171,270 |
| Financial Managers | $164,400 | 46,980 | $166,570 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $161,530 | 26,270 | $161,740 |
| Sales Managers | $156,150 | 65,440 | $148,270 |
| Human Resources Managers | $145,680 | 20,320 | $149,280 |
Best-paying jobs here without a bachelor’s degree
Occupations where BLS lists a high school diploma, certificate, some college or an associate’s degree as typical for entry:
| Occupation | Sector median | Jobs in sector | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $117,660 | 29,990 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | $102,890 | 19,790 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $102,200 | 11,180 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $94,490 | 63,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Avionics Technicians | $89,980 | 7,420 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians | $87,340 | 6,310 | Associate's degree |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $82,720 | 25,990 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $81,410 | 15,570 | High school diploma or equivalent |
The most common jobs in the sector
| Occupation | Median | Jobs | Share of sector jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $46,140 | 1,074,240 | 8.49% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $75,180 | 491,210 | 3.88% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $43,180 | 400,040 | 3.16% |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | $49,270 | 382,920 | 3.03% |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | $44,450 | 298,640 | 2.36% |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $51,210 | 274,710 | 2.17% |
| General and Operations Managers | $130,960 | 249,060 | 1.97% |
| Industrial Engineers | $101,160 | 248,860 | 1.97% |
What this means for your pay
- Same job, different industry, different pay. Compare the sector median with the all-industry median for your job. If your sector pays below the national figure, the same skills may earn more elsewhere.
- Medians, not starting pay. Half of workers earn more than the median and half less; new hires usually start lower.
- Base wages only. OEWS excludes overtime, tips and most bonuses, so jobs with heavy overtime often pay more in practice.
Published October 28, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
For contrast, from the same survey: the lowest-paid occupation in this sector with at least 20,000 jobs was fast food and counter workers, at a median of $34,090 ($16.39 an hour) across 26,910 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS industry data, May 2025.
— JobPayRaise Data Desk