Industry | CareerForce

Manufacturing Industry Spotlight

The manufacturing industry is a critically important part of Minnesota’s diverse economy, contributing $57.2 billion (12%) to the state’s economy in 2023 - and making a wide range of products to improve the lives of people around the world - from medical devices to food to recreational vehicles and everything in between. Manufacturing workers took home $25.7 billion in wages from Minnesota manufacturing jobs last year, making an average annual wage of just under $79,000, which is 10% higher than the state’s overall average private sector wage. There is a big demand for people to work in manufacturing positions in Minnesota, now and into the future - making it a strong career path choice. In fact, Minnesota expects more than 93,000 job openings for manufacturing production positions through 2032.

Download and share these resources:
- Student flyer: 5 Great Reasons to Pick a Career in Manufacturing
- Adult flyer: 5 Great Reasons to Consider Manufacturing
View manufacturing-focused blogs and videos
Contact a CareerForce location near you for assistance exploring manufacturing careers and connecting with employers

Featured Careers in Manufacturing

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand

In Demand Careers

The following 10 occupations are in top demand in Manufacturing in Minnesota in 2024. Select an occupation to learn more including watch a short video, get more information on wages, daily work activities, education requirements, find jobs, and more.

Manufacturing Industry Trends

In 2023, there were 8,625 establishments providing 325,800 jobs in the Manufacturing industry, making it the second largest employing industry in the state. That accounted for about 11% of total employment in the state, or 1 in every 9 jobs.
With a payroll of nearly $26 billion dollars, average annual wages were just under $79,000 in 2023, 10% higher than across all industries in Minnesota.
The largest subsector was Food Manufacturing, with 47,225 jobs; followed by Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing with 45,130 jobs and Computer & Electronic Product Manufacturing with 44,500 jobs.
Minnesota added nearly 13,000 manufacturing jobs from 2021 to 2023.
Manufacturing firms reported just under 12,000 job vacancies in 2023, as employers struggled to find workers to fill open jobs.
Minnesota is expected to see more than 93,000 job openings for manufacturing production positions alone through 2032.