What are Manufacturing Jobs & Wages

The number one question that our team gets asked is what do we need to pay for this skillset to stay competitive?

Below, we break down manufacturing job wages by category. This data is the average from over 300 job placements made by Taldeco in the metro Detroit and Nashville areas in 2024.

Production and General Labor (Light Industrial)

• Assembler/Production/Operator: $18.09/hour

• Material Handler: $18.24/hour

• Crane Operator: $18.63/hour

• Quality Inspector: $19.00/hour

• CNC Operator: $19.50/hour

• Helpers: $20.14/hour

Skilled Trade Roles

• Press/Brake Press Operator: $22.00/hour

• Die & Mold Setter: $23.57/hour

• Welder/Fabricator: $25.33/hour

• CNC Machinist: $25.50/hour

• Tool and Die Repair Technician: $28.12/hour

• CNC Programmer: $28.45/hour

• Tool and Die Maker: $31.00/hour

• Process Technician: $31.00/hour

• Robot Technician: $31.22/hour

• Maintenance Technician: $31.22/hour

Technical and Engineering Roles

• Industrial Engineer: $39.46/hour

• Controls & Electrical Engineer: $44.55/hour

• Mechanical Engineer: $40.13/hour

• Process Engineer: $45.67/hour

• Manufacturing Engineer: $42.43/hour

Both employers and employees need to know how much manufacturing position wages pay. Employers need to stay competitive with others in their market, while employees should know their wage potential.

Check out our careers page.