The best manufacturing jobs in many of the fields, without any stretch of the imagination, tend towards manufacturing manager jobs. These jobs will usually get employment from ladder climbing; advancement through years of experience. However if the skills and expertise are present, outside applicants could land the job directly. The other really good class of job are manufacturing engineer jobs; people with advance degrees you don't just build but also design and put the theory behind the project. These individuals will have entered their field possessing upper level college degrees.
To better understand the kinds of jobs available; let us consider the top jobs in different fields of manufacturing.
Machine manufacturing
Many manufacturing companies would not be in production were it not for the individuals who make the machines that manufacture. These individuals use traditional metalworking tools to build the machines and metal parts needed for a plethora of industries. The basic level position of the field which is considered a good position to have, is the CNC machine tool operator. CNC, or computer numerical control, is a modern day technique to allow computers to machine precision parts automatically. These machines need a program though, and that is where the CNC operator comes in. CNC operators typically possess get knowledge through on the job training or via a two-year college degree. CNC operators, while capable of very precise parts, can not match the skills of the machinist. These workers can achieve the same, if not better precision of their CNC counterparts, but can do so across a number of machines, with a number of tools, and come up with prototypes in rapid times. As their skill progresses, the machinist will become a tool and die maker. These highly skilled machinists make the tools used by other machinists, and are considered the job to be in for machine manufacturing.
Aerospace manufacturing
Because of the very high level of precision needed in the aerospace field, jobs in this field can pay nearly twice as much for seemingly equivalent jobs in other fields. This is due in part to the degree requirements of the positions, and to the fact that there are numerous special alloys requiring special tools and techniques to machine the parts. An inspector in this field can make just as much as a tool and die maker for the machine area of manufacturing. From there, aircraft mechanics and system assemblers make a good wage due to their capabilities and skills. From these job positions, just about the best jobs in aerospace manufacturing are engineers, from industrial to mechanical and up to aerospace engineers. These individuals have spent four to ten years in college gaining the additional training and knowledge to achieve the precision required of the industry.
Chemical manufacturing
This particular branch of the industry is a necessary one, for workers in this field manufacture the chemicals needed for every product, from the paint on your car to the soap in you bathroom, and more. Plant operators and supervising production workers are sought after job positions, but the best position in this industry is the chemist with at least a four-year degree, and may be a doctorate after seven to ten years of study. These highly trained individuals are responsible for discovering the chemical molecules that end up getting used in numerous products across the board.
Automobile manufacturing
You can hardly get by in the US without an automobile, which makes their manufacture a key industry. A lot of the process is automated, but for high end cars, and for a lot of tasks, the human touch cannot be beaten. Welders, cutters and the like are always in demand, just as with laborers and material movers. Many vehicles need to be moved to their point of sale, and the industrial truck drivers are well compensated for it. These individuals are usually high school graduates with on the job training. Those students who spent some time in vocational school get to be better off as your local town mechanic. Maintenance and repair workers make a significant chunk of change for their services, just behind the inspectors and testers of the industry. Safety dictates that tolerances be met in the industry, and the inspector is well compensated for their work.
Steel Manufacturing
Just about every building, vehicle, bridge and structure owes its construction to steel. Within the steel manufacturing industry, the best jobs to hold are the operators and machine setters, and those in charge of running the machines which work the steel into final form. Above these individuals, of course, are the maintenance men and supervisors.
Computer and electronics manufacturing
The digital age has brought with it the advent of electronic devices. These items are prevalent in every aspect of modern living, and their manufacture is a growing industry. Because of the science behind the control of electrons, and the high precision that goes into making a computer chip, workers in this industry are very well compensated, from the electrical technicians to the computer software engineers. Every computer manufacturing job in the US will require a four-year degree, and a high level of computer skill, their use and construction.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing
The last big manufacturing industry is the pharmaceutical industry. The drugs that are sent into the market give pharmaceutical companies a large amount of profit. In addition to the standard jobs that are good to hold, in this industry, chemists and medical doctors also make out well.
The best jobs in manufacturing tend to fall into one of these three categories: managers; college educated engineers and scientists; including high school educated mechanics and repairmen.
