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.
October is Manufacturing Month in Minnesota
- Governor's proclamation, updated regional labor market conditions, events and more will be posted here soon!
Highlighted resources
- Statewide Tour of Manufacturing
- Download and share these resources:
- Contact a CareerForce location near you for assistance exploring manufacturing careers and connecting with employers.
- Download a fillable Manufacturing Month certificate
- Download a fillable Manufacturing Month local proclamation
- View past Manufacturing Month blogs and videos
- Download manufacturing hiring and career exploration event flyer templates
Featured Careers in Manufacturing
In Demand Careers
In 2022, the following 10 occupations were in top demand in Manufacturing in Minnesota. 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.
- Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Machinists
- Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers
- Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, exc. technical and scientific products
- Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
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.
Manufacturing Training Programs
Mon
Monday,
29
Jul
2024
Semiconductor Advanced Manufacturing
Are you looking to enter a popular, hands-on career with fantastic growth potential?Learn about careers in semiconductor manufacturing, working in a clean room, take tours and build connections to employers, build skills in job readiness, customer service
Jul 29, 2024 - Jun 30, 2025
Mon
Monday,
12
Aug
2024
Welding, Forklift, OSHA 10
Get started on your career in the Welding trade! Anoka County Job Training Center will help justice-impacted individuals get ready for a career in Welding, including OSHA 10 and Forklift safety certificates. With a median wage of $26.06.
Aug 12, 2024 - Oct 04, 2024
Wed
Wednesday,
14
Aug
2024
Accelerated Welding Class
10 hours of classroom instruction, including Math for Welders, Weld Symbols, and Safety.
30 hours of hands-on welding instruction, including:
GMAW MIG Welding, Into to Oxyfuel Cutting, Intro to SMAW (stick), Intro to Plasma Cutting
NorthStar Digital Le
Aug 14, 2024 - Sep 12, 2024
Select a Region
Select a Region to get Manufacturing News for a specific region of Minnesota.
Additional Resources
Manufacturing Month resources for manufacturing employers
- How we help manufacturing employers
- Contact your regional Workforce Strategy Consultant
- Meet your regional team
- Contact your local CareerForce location for assistance connecting with potential employees
- Learn about the Diversity in Manufacturing Initiative (DiMi)
- Manufacturing Month blogs
- Manufacturing Month events
Manufacturing Month resources for community leaders and workforce development professionals
- Download a fillable Manufacturing Month certificate
- Download a fillable Manufacturing Month local proclamation
- Manufacturing Month events
Check out our other industries: All Industries, Business Services, Construction, Health Care, Information Technology, Natural Resources, Public Sector, Services Sector
Learn more about Minnesota's Industries
Check out our other industry pages to learn more about each industry.
Business Services | Construction | Educational Services | Health Care and Social Assistance | Information Technology | Manufacturing | Natural Resources | Public Administration | Services Sector | All Industries
